Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the Land
Bungy Jumping
Bungy jumping was made famous by Kiwi AJ Hackett's 1986 plunge from the Eiffel
Tower, after which he teamed up with champion New Zealand skier Henry van Asch to
turn the endeavour into a profitable enterprise. Now you can get crazy too!
Queenstown is a spiderweb of bungy cords, including Hackett's triad: the 134m Nevis
Bungy (the highest); the 43m Kawarau Bungy (the original); and the Ledge Bungy (the
highest altitude - diving off a platform 400m above Queenstown). Other South Island
bungy jumps include above the Waiau River near Hanmer Springs, and Mt Hutt ski field.
Varying the theme, try the 109m-high Shotover Canyon Swing or Nevis Swing in Queen-
stown, both seriously high rope swings:
swooosh
…
Caving
Caving (aka spelunking) opportunities abound in NZ's honeycombed karst (limestone) re-
gions. In the South Island, you'll find clubs and tours around Westport and Karamea.
Golden Bay also has some mammoth caves. Useful resources:
New Zealand Speleological Society
(
www.caves.org.nz
)
Hang Gliding & Paragliding
Suspend yourself below an enormous fake wing - either rigid (hang gliding) or frameless
(paragliding) - and set sail from a hillside or clifftop. Tandem flights happen in Queen-
stown, Wanaka and Nelson, or after a half-day of instruction you should be able to do lim-
ited solo flights. The New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
(
www.nzhgpa.org.nz
)
rules the roost.
Horse Trekking
Unlike some other parts of the world where beginners are led by the nose around a pad-
dock, horse trekking in NZ lets you out into the countryside, on a farm, in the forest or
