Auckland's ultimate progressive heli-dining experience will have you lunching like Beyoncé

I'll level with you: the closest I've ever gotten to feeling like an A-list celebrity was one time when a taxi driver was convinced I was Lorde, and repeatedly told me I was a national treasure.

And while somewhat sadly, that remains one of my proudest moments, I think I may have just topped it.

When Heletranz invited me to check out their new ultimate progressive heli-dining experience, I could feel it - the lifestyles of the rich and famous were finally within my reach.

A helicopter ride to Waiheke Island, three courses at three different top-end vineyards, and an array of magnificent wine all promised to temporarily free me from my $10 supermarket Sav Blanc shackles.

We took off from Albany in a luxury Eurocopter EC130, with Waiheke in our sights, only 15 minutes away.  The vistas - stunning, the flight - exhilarating, my jaw - hanging open the entire time.

Auckland's ultimate progressive heli-dining experience will have you lunching like Beyoncé
Photo credit: Supplied

After landing at Man O' War Bay, I hobbled towards the glorious sea-side tasting room with abandon. I had insisted on wearing the type of shoes I felt Beyoncé would don for a day of sightseeing after a sold-out Spark Arena tour, which I soon came to regret.

Thankfully, relief was swift, and in the form of several beautifully curated cheese platters featuring honey and olive oil made on-site.

The accompanying wine tasting was a warm, friendly and aromatic jaunt through the Man O' War portfolio, including their famous Valhalla Chardonnay. This gave me plenty of opportunity to swirl my glass around and inhale deeply as if I knew what I was doing, which really added to the vibe.

Auckland's ultimate progressive heli-dining experience will have you lunching like Beyoncé
Photo credit: Supplied

The next stop of the day offers a drive by private chauffeur to lunch at either Poderi Crisi or Casita Miro - it's your call, obviously. You're pretty much a Grammy-winner at this point.

Still dizzy from the heady combination of wine, helicopter-travel and furious Instagramming, I was very pleased to find I had arrived in Tuscany, or rather, Waiheke's answer to it.

Poderi Crisi's alfresco dining area sits nestled at the foot of a natural amphitheater, the vineyard cascading down the slope above. In the evenings, they sometimes even put on opera performances in the cellar. It's ridiculously fabulous, but unpretentious, kind of like Beyoncé. Probably. 

Auckland's ultimate progressive heli-dining experience will have you lunching like Beyoncé
Photo credit: Newshub

A plate of melt-in-the-mouth gnocchi paired with a perfectly matched wine later, I was feeling quite European, very content and rather full.

Luckily, I was able to engage my dessert stomach for the third leg of the day - the final, chocolatey course at Tantalus Estate. 

I'd like to say I stayed cool, calm and collected when I heard about the Tantalus espresso martini on tap, but I didn't. In fact, I struggled to remain composed during the whole tour of the venue, which boasts a craft beer brewery, secret cellar doors, and a plethora of stunning dining spaces.

Auckland's ultimate progressive heli-dining experience will have you lunching like Beyoncé
Photo credit: Newshub

Dessert was a glorious fusion of Dulce de Leche, meringue and several other divine components I either could not pronounce or demolished too quickly to remember. 

Lounging in the afternoon sun, sipping my digestif and occasionally waving to the helicopter pilots across the estate, I was nearly able to forget how an old man yelled at me on the train that morning.

Of course, my real life was waiting for me back at my desk in the newsroom that afternoon, but I felt certain I was at least 37 percent more fabulous than I had been that morning.

Prices for the progressive dining experience start at $595 per person, with the option of a ferry return. For more information, see the Heletranz website.

Newshub.