Advent u re to u ri sm
written by Shona Cobham
Adventure and adrenaline A TASTE FOR THE HIGH LIFE
N
ot everyone wants to dangle on a rubber stretchy or jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane, but it’s surprising what can happen.
The cliché has it that the Kiwi sense of adventure combined with our pioneering roots and that good old no. 8 wire style ingenuity are largely responsible for some of the world’s most thrilling adrenaline-hyped tourism adventures. At the forefront of those is the bungy, but we can also claim other clever thrill-seeking inventions – from the jet boat and ski plane to the ZORB (also known as OGO). And, while Queenstown claims the ‘adventure capital of the world’ title (with justification), the good news is that some form of an adrenaline adventure-tourism fix befitting any thrill level is pretty much guaranteed to be available in a spectacular landscape somewhere close to wherever you are in New Zealand. It’s 30 years since Kiwi adventurers AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch launched their world-first commercial bungy operation, 43 metres above a steep, rocky gorge, beside the Kawarau Bridge, near Queenstown. This iconic tourism destination has become synonymous with adventure tourism and a never-ending queue of willing punters. The original experience has morphed into multiple bungy operations in New Zealand and around the world. You can choose to jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge or SkyTower (at 192 metres and reaching 85 kilometres per hour, it’s the highest base jump by wire) or from a cliff above the Waikato River at Taupō, and a ledge above the lights of Queenstown. The AJ Hackett brand is also behind Queenstown’s latest adrenaline attraction. Launched a year ago, the world-first Nevis Catapult tosses its human cargo into the air to reach speeds of 100 kilometres per hour in 1.5 seconds, with 3Gs of force, and 150 metres above the Nevis Valley. Not tempted? Try the classic Nevis bungy, a 134-metre jump with an eight-second free-fall. Fuelling the adrenaline rush, there’s the beauty of the glacial blue water far below and the mountainous backdrop all-around.
Sky Tower Jump, Auckland | credit: Mark Downey
34 disc overnew zealand . ki w i
Find yourself experiencing the biggest thrill of your life
Waterfall climb | credit: Wildwire, Wanaka
Then again, the views from above are something else when you’re jumping out of a plane. Skydive Abel Tasman’s drop-zone at Motueka has views of both the North and South Islands. Once you’ve left the plane at 9, 13 or Skydiving | credit: NZONE Skydive 16,000 feet, safely strapped to your experienced jump master, there’s nothing but air and the scenery to get in the way – Abel Tasman, Golden Bay, the Alps, Marlborough Sounds all the way to Taranaki. Find other spectacular skydiving destinations at Auckland, Taupō, Queenstown, Wanaka and Franz Josef. Cables and wires have inspired other great adrenaline-inducing adventures – from flying down through a forest on a zipline to abseiling into the underworld or climbing up a sheer rock face inside a waterfall. At Rotorua Canopy Tours, guests travel the tree tops via walkways attached to the trees and ziplines that fly like the birds. Stepping off a platform into the void takes a bit of nerve but it’s also a beautiful way to experience the forest and the wildlife that this business is actively working to protect. Queenstown’s Ziptrek is another hair-raising zipper, with breath-taking lake and mountain views as you fly through the air on the world’s steepest zipline, dropping 30 storeys at up to 70 kilometres per hour. For family thrills, Cable Bay Adventure Park near Nelson has the thoroughly terrifying Skywire. Hop on board, four at a time, strap on the five-point harness, and swoop down the world’s longest zipline; a kilometre of gravity assisted free-wheeling, reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. Wildwire Wanaka’s waterfall climb conveniently comes in three thrill levels, climbing via ferrata – a system of cables, rungs and bridges fixed to the rock face. The highest 450-metre climb, Lord of the Rungs, includes a six-metre waterfall and a helicopter descent. No climbing experience? No worries, if you can climb a ladder you can do Wildwire, supported by trained guides and secured with safety equipment. Finally, if fast and furious appeals, then the Hamilton jet boat, ZORB (aka OGO) and the Shweeb are three examples of Kiwi inventions that can take you for a spin. Jet boating tourism started 60 years ago in Queenstown and since then the iconic yellow KJets and Shotover big reds have thrilled millions of screaming passengers – celebrities, royals and commoners – with 360-degree spins through impossibly narrow rocky gorges. Rotorua has OGO’s new Mega Track, the longest, fastest and steepest giant-inflatable-ball-rolling course in the world, as well as the Skyline’s luge rides and nearby Velocity Valley with the monorail cycle Shweeb Racer and a selection of other fast action rides. No excuses! Get out and “do something new New Zealand”.
