Bungy jumping towards the Kawarau River in Queenstown, New Zealand © Alexandra1977 | Dreamstime
Back in the 1980s, A. J. Hackett brought the Vanuatu tradition of land diving to New Zealand, performing the first amateur bungee jump off the Auckland Harbor Bridge. Since then, New Zealand, and specifically Queenstown, has become a cultural hub for the world of extreme sports. Here is our Top 5:
Whether you are looking for a peaceful ride down or a heart-pumping flight, paragliding offers gliders breathtaking rides over Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range. G Force Paragliding is the city’s oldest tandem paragliding company, taking up beginners and experienced paragliders alike.
Paragliding and bungy jumping might be an adrenaline rush, but to get into a truly adventurous spirit, try offroading. Nomad Safaris provides personalized tours through the New Zealand back-country, exploring historic gold mines and film sets for Lord of the Rings. Guests can ride in one of the company’s four-wheel drive vehicles or explore on a caravan of quad bikes.
Inspired by the Vanuatu ritual of Naghol, A. J. Hackett’s cultural appropriation has become the worldwide phenomenon known as bungy jumping. Hackett’s company is still operating today, taking people to jumps off the Kawarau Bridge, the Skyline Gondola and over the Nevis River, which is the highest bungy jump in New Zealand at 134 meters.
You might have heard of heli-skiing, but for summertime trekking take a heli-biking trip up one of Fat Tyre’s five courses and enjoy a fun ride down the mountain. A pilot gives you an amazing view of mountains around Queenstown before you are dropped off for a downhill ride that can get pretty fast.
If you consider white-water rafting to be little more than paddling a boat, you might want to consider river surfing. Armed with nothing more than a wetsuit and bodyboard, companies like Serious Fun Riversurfing will send you down the Kawarau River for up to six kilometers of rapids.
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