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Adventure sports in New Zealand

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Adventure sports in New Zealand

Bungy jumps, skydives and giant hamster balls
Dan Bennett writes...

'So, who likes to just relax by the pool when they go on holiday?

You do? Then you’re reading the wrong article!

How about a show of hands for those who prefer falling out of the sky at 200km per hour, or maybe jumping into a 50 metre deep canyon with nothing but a piece of elastic tied around their ankles? In fact, have you ever pushed an occupied hamster ball down the stairs and wished you were in there? Well, (once you’ve reported yourself to the RSPCA,) book a ticket to New Zealand and fill your backpack with spare underwear - you’re in for the experience of a lifetime. It’s not always extreme, but it’s invariably an adventure.

NZ is known as the adventure sports capital of the world, and with good reason. Every Kiwi man and his dog seems to have a bungy jump in their back garden, and it’s a struggle to find any community at all that doesn’t offer a thrill-seeking package to the discerning gapper. Whether it’s black water rafting under Waitomo, paragliding over Christchurch or just jumping off a bridge in the hope that the water below is deep enough, this country offers adrenaline highs that will have you floating for weeks. Best of all, there are activities for all ages and confidence levels.

Zorbing

If, like me, you’re willing to ride anything at Alton Towers (except Oblivion - it just looks dangerous), there’s plenty on offer. First, you’ve got your zorbing - my personal favourite. This is the aforementioned giant-rubber-hamster-ball-down-a-hill, and can be found near the North Island town of Rotorua. Zorbing, like bungy-jumping, was invented in New Zealand, and has become firmly established as one of the most bizarre experiences in the country. Bear in mind it isn’t cheap though - your initial ride will cost you around £20, although your second and third goes are only £10 and £5 respectively. I loved it; been there, done that and even bought a zorb t-shirt.

Once you’ve recovered your balance, you’ve got a choice ahead of you. Rotorua also offers three of the best luge tracks on the North Island. If you aren’t familiar with luging, just think of it as downhill go-karting in a soapbox. It’s cheap and cheerful (about £15 for five goes), it’ll last you all afternoon, and best of all - there are no safety rails. Given that the three tracks are built into the side of a very steep hill, this adds plenty of tension when competing with a friend. People do get hurt. I certainly did, but had great fun doing it.

If you’re looking for more excitement, try nearby Taupo. A range of companies offer skydives (many of which can be filmed for reliving the moment you unloaded your breakfast), and there are an equally large number of bungy jumps from various bridges and towers. I have to confess I didn’t try either - I don’t have a head for heights. However (and yes, this seems a little inconsistent), I don’t have any problem with depths. Which leads us nicely to the caves in Waitomo.

These tunnels are home to another NZ-created activity - black water rafting. Much like white water rafting, but underground. In the dark. See what they did there? I used one of several small local companies, ‘Rap, Raft ‘n’ Rock’, who supplied us with discount accommodation (only about £8 for the night) and a free test on a rope course high in the trees near the site (which I politely declined, funnily enough). I say a small company - the whole venture was run by three men, but they all knew exactly what they were doing and had a high standard of professionalism. The rafting itself was only a small part of the day; it began with a lengthy abseil down a river-forged gorge, which housed the caves - we also got to climb up the canyon walls to get out. The first half of our time in the caves was spent walking upriver, admiring the hordes of glow-worms embedded in the roof. We spent ages clambering over rocks and through holes in the dark, before hopping into a rubber ring and surrendering ourselves to the fast current, in pitch darkness, to wash us back to our starting point. It’s a surreal experience, especially with the glow-worms - much like rushing at high speed under the night sky.

Adrenaline junkies will spend a lot of time in Queenstown, on the South Island - it’s known as the extreme sports centre of the country. Try being shot out into a canyon on a giant rope swing at 150km/h...blindfolded. Or possibly racing down an impossibly thin, rock-lined gorge in a speedboat performing 360 degree spins at 70 km per hour. Maybe even bungy jumping from a swinging platform with a transparent floor. Whatever floats your boat, really.

Obviously, none of this comes cheap - a bungy jump in Queenstown will cost a hefty £100, and skydiving can cost well in excess of £200, especially if you go for a personal video recording. It’s best to remember that a lot of the activities are available elsewhere - many can be done here in the UK. I chose to do what I couldn’t back home - one of my favourite days was spent hiking on the Franz Joseph Glacier on the South Island, surrounded by glowing blue ice. I know hiking isn’t exactly considered ‘extreme’, but it’s certainly a word to describe the landscape of NZ, and every walk feels like an adventure.

New Zealand is one of those countries where you get out what you put in. If you’re looking for adrenaline but end up spending your time visiting attractions like the ‘Agrodome’ to watch sheep beauty pageants (no joke), you won’t get nearly as much enjoyment as somebody willing to try out something new and a little dangerous (unless beautiful sheep are your thing, obviously).

Having said that, you’ll never get me to fall 150 metres with no protection but a glorified rubber band. Not ever.'

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