This South Island fly fishing Mecca is the no. 1 heli-fishing experience in New Zealand and possibly on the planet. Cedar Lodge is unique, even in New Zealand, and is one of only a few lodges in the country catering exclusively to fly rodders. No others have their own choppers, and none has the reputation for hospitality and service the Frasers have built over 30 years.

Lefty Kreh, Jack Nicklaus, Doug Swisher, Dave Whitlock, and the late Mel Krieger and Ernie Schweibert have all been regulars. Using an R-44 Robinson Raven helicopter, owner Dick Fraser and his staff of pilots and Kiwi guides easily access more than a dozen wilderness rivers. Many of the spots on the Cedar Lodge itinerary are inside Aspiring National Park, where Fraser enjoys the single helicopter access license. The most distant river or stream is less than half an hour by air from their lodge. Each flight is a breathtaking experience and the often phenomenal fishing sometimes becomes only an accent on the day.