The Adventurous Side of New Zealand
“New Zealand is where you’ll find coy honeymooners gazing at each other; intrepid backpackers exploring the highest peaks and the deepest seas, Nature enthusiasts on a relentless trail of whales and dolphins, and adventure sports enthusiasts trying the most bizarre stunts,” writes Priyadarshini Paitandy in an article for The Hindu. And there are plenty of adventure sports to indulge in in Kiwi country.
- Skydive: Paitandy describes her personal skydiving experience. While skydiving isn’t necessarily for the faint-hearted the views are spectacular and it is an experience that will leave you with a sense of achievement.
- Skywalk: “We look at the bustling city below… it is a long way down. The cars look like little moving dots and the buildings resemble Lego houses. We gingerly tread across the platform, getting a 360-degree view of the city,” writes Paitandy. If that’s too tame for you, there’s always the option of jumping down Skytower.
- Jet Boat: The Shotover Jet ride in Queenstown is perhaps one of the most thrilling water rides. It takes a while to get used to the bumpy ride when the whirring red boat manoeuvres its way through rocky canyons at almost 85 kmph, according to Paitandy.
- Bungy Jump: Paitandy advises to not actually give much thought to this activity, but just to take the plunge. You’ll find yourself standing at The Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre in Queenstown between a brilliant blue sky above and a meandering green river below. It’s a 43-metre drop. If you don’t want to jump alone you can also do a tandem jump here.
- Caving: In New Zealand, they’ve managed to turn cave discoveries into a sport. “The Waitomo Caves, known for its glow-worms, is one of the most preferred destinations for caving. You can choose modules depending on your fitness and the time at hand. Swim, rock climb, abseil through waterfalls, toob (sit on a floating tube and float across underwater streams), and zip-line.”
Article Source: The Hindu, Priyadarshini Paitandy, April 8, 2016
Image Source: Pixabay
