Filed under: outdoor recreation, sports, top-feature
Extreme Adventure New Zealand Style
Kiwi’s love their adventure and extreme sports. For a true New Zealand experience you have to try some of the thrill-seeking, spine-tingling extreme adventures! There is plenty to do near Auckland. You can JUMP, RIDE, or SOAR your way to an action packed adventure.
JUMP
Auckland is known for several things, but two of the two main sites are the Sky Tower and the Auckland Harbour Bridge – did you know you can jump off both of these?
Warning – these jumps are NOT for the faint-hearted. I am a bit of a wimp and have not tried them myself, although I have been up to the top of the Sky Tower, and can represent that it’s high!
The Sky Tower (map) is the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest building, and the Sky Jump is a controlled leap from the top. A specially designed cable drum creates a steady, controlled free-fall. Unlike bungy jumping, there’s no bouncing or hanging upside-down, just a fast, smooth descent.
Thrill seekers meet at Mission Control on level two of Sky Tower, before being handed their jumpsuit, briefed and taken to level 53. Jumpmasters will attach the full-body safety harness and then it’s time to take the plunge.
It takes about 16 seconds to reach the bottom giving you precious few moments to check out the views on the way down. The special cable drum creates resistance during the fall allowing jumpers to plummet until close to the end, when the resistance increases, slowing the jumper without jolting. Sky Jump will satisfy any adrenaline junkie around, and the smooth ride means less impact than bungy jumping.
The Sky Jump is $195 per adult, and you can book online.
The other big jump in Auckland is the Auckland Harbour Bridge Bungy (map). Bungy jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane. When the person jumps, the cord stretches and the jumper flies upwards again as the cord snaps back, and continues to oscillate up and down until all the energy is dissipated.
You can bungy from the underside of the bridge from the pod towards the harbour waters. If you’re a little intimidated by this prospect, there is a carriage that has seating for viewing, giving the best view, Besides the jumper’s view, that is.
Prices per adult are $150 per adult and you can book online.
RIDE
There are plenty of adventure rides near Auckland too. White Water rafting is great fun and there are numerous grades to choose from, from beginner to experienced.
Rotorua, a three hour drive from Auckland, has some of the best rivers for rafting, such as the Kaituna River. The raft trip, which can be booked through River Rats features Tutea Falls, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. It is fast enough and furious enough to ensure that the adrenalin keeps on pumping right through the foam, and over the heart stopping 7 metre waterfall.
The Kaituna River has deep bush covered gorges and roaring crashing rapids, but its pool drop makes it very forgiving for a grade 5 trip. Adventurous beginners are welcome, but it’s definitely going to get your heart racing with its perfect mix of scenic solitude and full-on adventure. All trips include helmets and life jackets. Wetsuits, wetsuit boots, fleece tops and sprayjackets are generally available. Price depends on size of group, and start at $95 per adult, you can also book online.
After another ride that’s not as scary? Why not try the zorb? You can also find this is Rotorua.
A zorb is a plastic, air filled, giant orb. You get in through a hole in the side, get a run up, and bounce and roll your way down the hill! Zorbing originated in New Zealand in the 1990’s as a novel invention by two Kiwis looking for a new adventure challenge. It is now a worldwide business with franchise agents in many countries. In excess of 200 Zorbs have been rolled out from the Rotorua factory and the future for aspiring zorbonauts looks bright.
It sounds scary but it’s actually very safe, and the whole family can do it. You have a choice of wet or dry rides, and fast or slow rides.
Prices are around $110 per adult.
SOAR
Two of our favourite ways to soar are the Swoop in Rotorua and hang gliding over Aucklands rolling hills.
The Swoop consists of specially designed hang gliding harnesses where you are cocooned inside. Up to three people can participate in a Swoop at one time, the more people the better the ride.
You nominate who pulls the ripcord on command and you are winched 40 meters into the sky. Your jumpmaster will call “ready on the ripcord” and as you release yourself, you plunge towards the earth at 130 kmph in a sort of gliding/swinging motion. You continue swinging back and forth until the ride comes to an end. The swoop is $49 per adult, and $35 per child.
Active Sky hang gliding is a short 50 minute drive from Auckland. You can choose to soar for hours of relaxing freedom or compete with friends in a 30 km race along the cliff line. Either way, you will be strapped to an instructor in the tandem hang glide so you won’t be by yourself. They say once people try hang gliding once they’ll be addicted forever. Prices for Active Sky hang gliding are: $175 per adult.
Kiwis love their adventure and sports so to get the true New Zealand experience you have to try at least some of them. There’s something for everyone – from the thrill seekers – to the scaredy cats!
Image credits: Stas Kulesh, Auckland Bridge Bungy Jump, via FLICKR; Planetgordon, Zorb, via flickr; Seth G, Swoop, via flickr.
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