It's been a high-flying Father's Day for more than 50 children on board a special Air New Zealand flight on Sunday afternoon.
"Koru care" flew in kids from across the country for the flight, and, for many, it was their first time in the sky.
The charity takes children with serious medical conditions or difficult personal situations on overseas holidays.
But Sunday's flight was for the children who aren't up to making those trips.
Air NZ chief people officer Jodie King told Newshub the kids were just "fizzing".
"The kids really enjoy it, and particularly when you take them on the overseas holidays. It sometimes just gives them a break from often the quite difficult circumstances they're in."
Sunday's flight had one special surprise. The airline partnered with aviation website Flightradar24 to take an unusual flight route; the aircraft flew in the shape of a love heart across the country.
Flight captain Dave Wiso said it's all about the planning.
"There's so much planning on a day like this, especially the number of volunteers, or Air New Zealanders, that have put a lot of work into it."
But for those volunteers, it's a job they feel lucky to have.
"[I've] actually been trying to hold back the tears, because it's actually really beautiful," said one volunteer.
Sunday's flight lasted just two hours. But for these children, every minute will be a lifetime's memory.
Newshub.
