There are adventures that you dream about for years… and then there are the ones that sneak up on you and completely take your breath away. My recent helicopter flight from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles with Leisure Heli Tours was exactly that — one of those “pinch me” experiences I’ll be talking about forever.
We lifted off from Essendon Fields on a calm morning, the city slowly fading behind us as the helicopter climbed over Melbourne’s outer suburbs. Within minutes, the view opened up to endless green grasslands and stretches of untouched bushland. It was such a peaceful scene — soft light, a few gentle showers drifting through the clouds, and that hum of excitement that only comes from being thousands of feet in the air.
I couldn’t stop staring out the window. From this height, Victoria feels completely different — vast, raw, and stunningly beautiful. Every turn revealed something new: winding rivers, little country towns, and the kind of wilderness you just don’t see from the highway.
About an hour later, the coastline came into view, and that’s when things got really special. The 12 Apostles appeared like giants rising from the ocean, the sunlight breaking through the clouds just enough to make the limestone glow golden. Seeing them from above — before landing nearby to explore on foot — was pure magic. It’s one of those moments where you just sit back and whisper, “Wow.”
On the ground, I could feel the wind and hear the waves crash against the cliffs — the full sensory experience. The sheer scale of it all made me feel so small in the best possible way.
But the real showstopper came on the flight home. Instead of heading inland, we traced the Great Ocean Road all the way back. From above, the coastline unfolds like a living postcard — rugged cliffs, hidden coves, beachside homes, and that iconic stretch of sand at Bells Beach, where surfers were already carving up the waves. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
In total, the flight to the Apostles was just over 60 minutes, and the return along the coast about 90 minutes — but honestly, time seemed to stand still. Every second felt like a new perspective, a new photo, a new memory.
If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing the Great Ocean Road in a completely different way, do yourself a favor and check out Leisure Heli Tours. Their Melbourne Helicopter Rides aren’t just about getting from A to B — they’re about rediscovering Victoria from above, one breathtaking view at a time.
Trust me: once you’ve seen the 12 Apostles from the sky, you’ll never look at them the same way again.
