Adventure holidays are all about new experiences and New Zealand has a wealth of adventure options. When you think of New Zealand, bungy jumping, rafting or kayaking may come to mind, but over the last twenty years the adventure industry has successfully developed and marketed a host of new challenges. Along with the adventure industry, there has been a growth of indigenous cultural experiences, so as well as doing something crazy, you can learn about New Zealand’s unique Maori culture.
If you start your New Zealand holiday in Auckland and head to the top of the North Island, you can sandboard during a full moon on massive dunes, reaching incredible speeds. It’s exhilarating and you can spend much of your time screaming at the top of your lungs, but imagine hurtling down a dune under a starry sky with only the moon to guide you. Sand boarding during the day is also an option, as is guided kayaking at night or a combination kayak and hike, while learning local Maori stories and their connection to the area.
Surrounded by water, New Zealand offers all kinds of ocean vacation adventures, from sport fishing to sailing to swimming with dolphins. One of the last daring adventures for those willing to take the plunge is swimming with sharks. There are places scattered around the North Island where you can venture out into the ocean in a shark cage, but if you want a guaranteed shark experience, there’s an Auckland Shark Aquarium adventure where you don’t need diving experience. This is a unique way to come face to face with these predators of the deep, with nothing but a cage between you and them. And just when you feel comfortable with the Wobbegong and Broadnose Sevengill sharks, you can spend 15 minutes diving with them, outside the cage!
If you’re more into the thrill of airborne adventures, then jumping out of a plane is just fine for your New Zealand vacation. With spectacular views from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, a tandem skydive from as high as 16,000 feet is an experience you’ll never forget. But if the thought of strapping yourself into another person and flying in a tiny plane makes you extremely nauseated, then there’s a new way to experience “free fall” in Rotorua. You are outfitted with a specifically designed flight suit and safety gear, and after your flight registration, you launch into the airstream and free fall! You have the opportunity to stop halfway to catch your breath and get more tips from the experts, before returning to free fall mode.
Known as the home of zorbing (climbing down a hill in a large inflatable balloon), Rotorua offers a number of adrenaline-pumping activities and is beginning to rival Queenstown with innovative and exciting adventure travel. A Triple Bypass Pack gives you a choice of three out of four adventures; free fall experience, jet boat ride, Swoop swing and Schweebing. I never heard it? A first for New Zealand, it’s the world’s first human-powered monorail race track. Schweebing is a combination of a monorail recumbent bike and a low resistance bike; passengers can reach speeds of up to 60 km per hour at a 60 degree angle, making for an exhilarating travel experience to suit your vacation.
If biking sounds like your thing, why not add a touch of adventure with Heli-biking in Queenstown, a mecca for mountain bikers? The trip includes an incredible helicopter flight over the Remarkables mountain range, followed by 18 km of varied terrain. From the 2000m summit of Ben Cruachen there is only one way down and that is on your bike! You traverse rolling ridge lines, old gold miner tracks, and a 4WD farm track, ending your journey at a local vineyard.
Adventures can easily take up every day of your New Zealand holiday and can range from crazy activities to more relaxed scenic pursuits. You can choose adventures in the air, water, and land, depending on where you feel most comfortable and the size of your budget. The classic adventures that New Zealand is known for around the world are still great experiences, but take the time to try some newer, cutting-edge ones. Of course, traveling itself is quite an adventure, so sprinkling in some adrenaline-pumping challenges will make your New Zealand vacation that much more interesting.
