You could go whale watching two ways: on a boat, or in a helicopter. Since in New Zealand only two vessels of any sort are allowed to be near a whale at any one time, once a whale surfaces it’s a race by all of the tour companies to be one of those two. So the helicopter is the way to go, because you get to the whale first. I learned in the hostel that my ability to take the more expensive helicopter option made me a “flash-packer” in this part of the world, which basically means you are a backpacker who can afford private rooms in the hostel and helicopter rides. I liked that — it sounded age-appropriate, but still fun.
— What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding (Kristin Newman), Loc. 2237–41