New Zealand – Land of Adventure
Posted by: kirsty_wilson in Australasia, tags: Mountains, New Zealand, Outdoor Activities, Rivers
New Zealand is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, as a large portion of the global population is now aware thanks to the success of Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy (which was of course largely filmed in New Zealand). The towering and picturesque mountains in New Zealand are also the perfect setting for many adventure sports. It is perhaps unsurprising then that many aboard the flights to New Zealand provided by operators like DialAFlight have some outdoor activities in mind. The opportunities for more traditional leisure options like walking and biking are pretty much matched in number by the more extreme activities like bungee jumping and heliskiing. Here we take a brief look at some of the possibilities for exercise and adrenalin awaiting those onboard flights to New Zealand.
New Zealand is the home of commercial bungy jumping, a craze that was invented by a group of Oxford University students in 1979, but popularised by the Kiwi A. J. Hackett, kicked off the craze with a jump off the Eiffel Tower in 1987, which he used to demonstrate his newly developed bungy (sometimes spelled bungee) cord. Many arriving on flights to New Zealand still take their maiden jump at the first bungy site Hackett set up, which is located at the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown. There are now also additional bungy sites throughout New Zealand, including at Auckland Bridge. Bungee jumpers from the Kawarau Bridge often experience a dip in the water when the cord is at full extension, and for those with a fear of heights that are nonetheless thrill seekers, many of the rivers carving deep through gorges in New Zealand present ideal conditions for white water canoeing and rafting. Indeed, New Zealand is widely recognised as being home to some of the finest white water rapids in the world. Both the Perth and Whataroa Rivers feature class IV and V rapids, which require the skills of an experienced canoeists if taking to the water in a kayak, but are ideal for the more stable and less dangerous activity of group white water rafting.
New Zealand is home to a number of large glaciers. As well as historically being responsible for the formation of much of the spectacular mountain country in New Zealand, the modern day glaciers now offer experienced hikers, skiers, and snowboarders the chance for some breathtaking walks and descents, thanks to the access afforded to the summits by heli-hiking and heliskiing. The most popular glaciers for these pastimes are on the South Island, and include the Franz Joseph, Fox, Hooker, Tasman and Volta Glaciers.
There are also many National Parks on both the North and South islands that offer less challenging but equally beautiful terrain in which to stretch your legs. Known locally as ‘tramping’, the less experienced walker is nonetheless advised to seek out guided walks to keep things safe when exploring the bush, which is after all basically a wilderness area.
Port Vila is the capital of Vanautu. A cluster of 83 islands located in the South Pacific. Port Vila is situated on the west coast of the island of Efate within the sheltered Vila Bay. There has been a lull in blog posts here and that’s due to a recent 10 day family holiday to Vanuatu. I was determined to take a digital-detox and so no blogging was done whilst away! Only lots of time in the 3D world – sightseeing, swimming, snorkelling and relaxing with the sun on my face!
Like there are horses for courses, the perfect ski resort does rather depend on the activities you’re planning, but here are some pointers:
Really, there are no challengers to La Grave and Chamonix, although they are both very different types of resort. If you are in a mixed group then choose Chamonix to give the others options. But otherwise, La Grave cannot be beaten for off-piste excitement.
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