Fox Glacier pilot flies self-isolation rule-breaking tourists straight to police

A Fox Glacier helicopter operator took matters into his own hands after a pair from Hong Kong went for a scenic flight when they were supposed to be in isolation. 

Rob Jewel's heli-flight flight full of tourists over Fox Glacier was compromised by tourists refusing to self isolate. 

He told Newshub the guide from Fox Glacier Guiding asked how long the pair had been in New Zealand. When they said they had arrived Monday, alarm bells rang in Jewel's head.

The couple from Hong Kong were immediately flown off the glacier and met by authorities for an explanation.

"They'd been told at immigration at their arrival into New Zealand about the self-isolation rules, Maui Campervan who had rented the campervan had also told them," said Jewel.

"It was in their documentation with this couple and yet they still ended up in Fox Glacier doing a heli-fight when they should've been self-isolating," 

In another incident, on Friday a French tourist on the Wanaka beachfront was caught shopping at a local clothing store. 

Worker Jai Jenkins told Newshub the man was "super blasé". 

"He had said that he was on a working holiday visa and had just returned yesterday from Thailand," Jenkins told Newshub.

"I then told him he should be self-isolating and asked him why he wasn't and he was basically super blasé about it."

After the man left the shop, Jenkins realised he needed to do something. 

"I went searching for him and found him, asked him for some photos of his passport and his name and he threatened to assault me," said Jenkins.

"I called the police and asked them to bring down a car down to try to find this guy and get details of them and they said it wasn't really their matter,"

The Ministry of Health has set up an email address directed to health immigration and police for those with confirmed cases and also breaches of self-isolation and mass gatherings.

The email address is nhccselfisolation@health.govt.nz.