Get your heart racing in New Zealand
Africa is known for safari, Australia for surfing, and New Zealand? Adventure sports and adrenaline activities, of course! Getting to see the best bits of this gorgeous country while engaging in some thrilling activities is a dream for many. But what are the best thrills for adrenaline junkies and where can you find them? That's what we uncover in this article.
Paragliding
In case you don't like falling towards the ground at 200kph, but do love the amazing views you can only get at a certain altitude, maybe paragliding is something for you. In Queenstown (New Zealand's adventure sports mecca) you will enjoy the most amazing views of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown and its mountain range called the Remarkables (yes, really...) while soaring through the sky.
Rafting
You can wake us in the middle of the night to go rafting, and we'd be up for it. It's just such good fun! While the picture below is at the mostly calm Waiau river in Fiordland National Park, you can make the ride as wild as you want to, with the most thrilling experience probably being rafting on the Kaituna river near Rotorua, or perhaps at the Rangitata Gorge near Christchurch. We wouldn't necessary plan around this one, as there are great rafting possibilities all over the country.
Bungee jumping
Come, want to try this thing with us that looks super dangerous, but is in reality one of the safest sports out there? I mean, bungee jumping might look scary as hell, and for those of us with a fear of heights, it's an even bigger leap off the platform, but it's one of those things you just need to try to know what it's like. And what better place to get out of your comfort zone, than while travelling? New Zealand has its fair share of amazing bungee jumping spots, but the highest one is the Nevis jump near Queenstown. At 134-metres it was once the highest in the world, and the cool thing is you don't jump from a bridge, but out of an actual cable car!
Skydiving
You can try skydiving in many places, but New Zealand is home to some of the most scenic spots in the world. The highest skydive in the country is above the Franz Josef Glacier, at over 5500-metres-high. The Fox Glacier in Westland National park is nearby, but a little bit less high. Same stunning backdrop though! Last one we'd recommend is Lake Taupo. This large crater lake is right in the middle of New Zealand's North Island and the largest lake in the country. It's mesmerising - looking at the snowy crater top of Mount Ruapehu and the Ngauruhoe volcano will almost make you forget that you just jumped out of an aeroplane thousands of metres above the ground.
Zorbing
New Zealand's answer to a question no-one ever asked. While it's often mistakenly claimed that bungee jumping originated in New Zealand, the Kiwis did invent this one. While Zorbing is still a rare sight in other countries, you can try it in New Zealand in several places. The concept is basically rolling down a hill in a giant inflated orb. Why? No idea... but it sure looks like a good time!
