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Extreme Sports in New Zealand

by

TraceyLC

New Zealanders are well known for their love of rugby, but in the off season they find themselves at a bit of a loss for excitement. Well, over the years a group of innovative kiwis have come up with a solution to the missing rugby action and invented a range of adventure sports sure to get the blood pumping. New Zealand could arguably be called the adventure capital of the world with a huge range of adventure sports, some of which are exclusive to the country. The snow covered mountains, giant glaciers, torrid rivers and boiling mud fields lend themselves to action and adventure. The list of extreme sports in New Zealand is endless and includes the usual suspects such as heli-skiing, bungy jumping and sky diving but there are also a number of activities that most of us have never seen or heard of before.

Queenstown, in the south west of New Zealand s south island, is the gateway to most of New Zealand s most popular snow fields and has, over time, turned into a playground for thrill seekers. Visitors to the town are usually there to carve up the slopes but will be surprised at the range of other activities on offer and courage needed to enjoy them. Skiers and snowboarders will love the variety of ski fields and the selection of challenging black diamond runs and for those with no fear at all, a session of heli-skiing will thrill even the most serious of thrill seekers.

Located on the picturesque Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is the perfect location for some extreme water sports. Jet boating around the lake, narrowly missing the rocky outcrops and soaring cliffs is a popular activity but if you re thinking lame! then white water rafting in the nearby Kawarau River may be more your style, and if you re still thinking too tame! , then river surfing could be right up your alley. River surfing is not for the faint hearted, essentially you ll be tossed in the Kawarau River with nothing more than a wetsuit and a body board and picked up a few hours later several turbulent kilometres downstream.

The warmer months are perfect for mountain bike riding and if money is no object a heli biking trip will have you rolling through the spectacular surroundings of the world of the Hobbit. Paragliding is hugely popular in the area with stunning scenery to enjoy on your way down. There are a number of companies offering tandem jumps for novices or lessons if you want to get serious about it. Other activities in Queenstown include two 800m long luge tracks winding down the mountain suitable for all ages, and the Skyline Queenstown Gondola which provides an easy way up the mountain with amazing views along the way. Skydiving, bungy jumping and a giant swing are just a few of the other activities available for those who are game. With so much to do, and such incredible scenery, Queenstown is an exciting holiday destination whether you re a skier or not. Accommodation in Queenstown is plentiful and caters for all styles of travellers and budgets ranging from luxury hotels to backpackers and hostels.

Rotorua is another hub for adventure sports which compliment perfectly the intensity and ferocity of the geothermal fields surrounding the tourist town. Rotorua is the birthplace of Zorbing, and still one of the best places in the world to try this thrilling sport. Picture yourself in a giant plastic bubble bouncing and rolling unguided down a hill or sliding around in a transparent globe full of water zig zagging down the hill in one of the four designated tracks. There are seven different styles of Zorb rides altogether, each one a little wilder than the last. The latest Rotorua invention is the Shweeb, an overhead monorail with pedal powered pods that swing freely from the track reaching speeds of up to 45km an hour as they soar high and low over the undulating local terrain. The Swoop is a giant swing where participants are strapped into a harness, lifted 40m into the air and then released to swing pendulum like at speeds of around 130km an hour in 1 second flat. If flying like a super hero has always been a dream of yours, then the Freefall Xtreme is a must do. Zipped into a special flying suit , you ll be buffeted from below by winds of up to 220km an hour that will have you flying like a bird. Barrel rolls, twists and spins are all part of the experience before you re lowered gently back down to earth. If that isn t enough for you, bungy jumping, flying fox, white water rafting, sky diving and parasailing are all available for the adventurous. Rotorua accommodation is easy to find with some hotels in Rotorua offering special adventure packages including transfers and tickets.

Thrill seekers looking for somewhere to go to satisfy their adventurous streak will love New Zealand. The range of accommodation in Queenstown and Rotorua caters for those looking for luxury and the budget conscious alike and the high density adventure sports will excite even the most hard core daredevils.

For more information on

accommodation in Queenstown

and

Rotorua accommodation

including

hotels in Rotorua

visit Choice Hotels New Zealand online.

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Extreme Sports in New Zealand