The plane's owner, dentist Peter Martin, and his co-pilot, farmer Noel Hoy, picked up a strong tail wind that blew them across the Tasman in eight and a-half hours on two tanks of fuel.
Mr Martin said it was a beautiful trip.
''We were absolutely zooming.
''We had a fantastic tail wind.
''We got blown across, mate.''
Their only stop was Lord Howe Island, where they refuelled on their way to Kerikeri.
Mr Martin said he had been planning the trip since he visited Queenstown two years ago.
Their Cessna Hawk ''never missed a beat'' and the two men spent their time in the air monitoring and navigating and checking out the New Zealand aviation rules.
''It's quite a busy time. I certainly wouldn't say I was bored,'' Mr Martin said.
He was also quite impressed flying the length of the West Coast to Wanaka yesterday.
''You guys really know how to build mountains. Fair dinkum.''
One of Mr Martin's aviation interests is providing ''angel flights'' - carrying people from remote areas of Australia to the cities for such things as non-emergency visits to hospitals.
The charity provides the free transport to those who find it financially or physically difficult to travel by road.
Bad weather delayed the start of the safari in Masterton by a day but 34 aircraft, including those of officials, arrived safely in perfect weather in Wanaka yesterday.
The flock of Cessnas, Pipers and Maules continues to the Taieri Plain this morning and the 10-day safari ends in Motueka.
Mr Martin said he would then fly home to Lismore, in New South Wales.
