Our top 5 New Zealand adventure activities

Created: 26 October 2017 08:39
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The Dart River Funyak experience is an incredibly fun day out, deep into the pristine Mt Aspiring National Park with its towering peaks, and must be included in our list. This adventure includes a wilderness jet boat ride, followed by a trip down the Dart River on unique inflatable canoes. The crystal clear sparkling waters against the magnificent backdrop of snow-capped mountains is a pure joy, so there's simply no better way to enjoy this journey from a canoe.

In between the two activities you will be spoilt with a picnic lunch, and on the way back to Glenorchy you'll be passing via some of the fabled Lord of the Rings movie sets.

This is a day packed with variety and fun experiences, and must simply be included in our list.

Bungy Jumping

Bungy Jumping was invented in New Zealand, so no surprise this is on our list as well. The variety of jumps you can choose from across the country is enormous. From the highest jump at 192m in Queenstown, to water touched options, jumping from the Auckland Harbour Bridge or Skytower, and even night jumps...if plunging into an abyss is not enough adrenaline for you, then these options will surely cater for you!

Multi-day hiking

One of the best adventures in New Zealand will always remain hiking, and more in particular multi-day hikes. New Zealand has more than 600km of hiking tracks, often in some of the most pristine environments in the world, and it is during multi-day hikes you truly get away from it all and soak it all in. One of our favorite quotes comes from Nancy Wynne Newhall and it says :

“The Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we have yet learned to ask.”

And this is something we really believe the New Zealand wilderness provides. So get out there, and venture out into the New Zealand wild with its incredible landscapes. Do know your limits though, as the weather is very changeable and for multi-day hikes a certain level of fitness is required.

But the best part of it is : it doesn't even have to cost a lot of money.

Skydiving

Skydiving is an experience that will stay with you forever, and you probably will be happy only doing it once in your life.

"I'm not sure whether the adrenaline rush can be matched by any other experience...The weird thing was : during the free-fall I was full of adrenaline and excitement, but once landed a calm came over me that I never felt before".

New Zealand has a number of skydiving options in various spectacular locations, over Lake Taupo with the Volcanoes in the background, or Queenstown with the backdrop of the Remarkables must be our picks.

Multi-day kayaking Doubtful Sound

Our number one position is held by the most profound experience we've ever done. Yes the sandflies were bad and we had to hide, but it was all worth it. It's actually not bad while on the water, it's only ashore when they annoy you.

An overnight kayaking trip deep into the untouched wilderness of the Doubtful Sound in Fiordland National Park will simply touch your soul. Towering cliffs, ancient rainforests, a variety of marine wildlife, and the silence...you will be moved by the beauty of this region.

An exploration on kayak for 2 days is a much better way to explore the fiords than on a boat in our opinion, and you'll camp out in the wilderness as an added bonus. Be prepared to get a little wet, but at the same time marvel at all the waterfalls crashing down the steep mountain sides.