The planes, from a Catalina flying boat, to two-seater home-built aircraft, left Ardmore on March 23 and will end the safari at Queenstown tomorrow.
The crews will then have the chance to attend the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow at Easter.
Apart from New Zealand pilots and crews, pilots from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and Australia, most of whom had hired planes, were taking part.
One exception was Phil Ayrton, of Sydney, who flew his home-built RV4 across the Tasman Sea for the event.
The plane had taken him "15 years of Sundays" to build and had been flying for about four years.
He stopped off at Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island before arriving in New Zealand at Kerikeri, then down to Ardmore for the start of the safari.
Event director John McLean said the safari was the first in six years.
It was organised by Flying New Zealand, which represents 43 aero clubs in New Zealand.
"One of the objectives is to lift awareness of recreational flying.
Because it's a significant event it attracts a lot of interest wherever we stop," he said.
Every stop, the safari gives away trial flights: four were given in Oamaru yesterday.
Mr McLean said there had been much interest in this year's safari: the Flying NZ website was getting double the usual number of hits.
Apart from getting a chance to see New Zealand from the air, the pilots also take part in competitions, the prizes to be presented at a dinner in Queenstown tomorrow night.
