This post is my contribution to the #blog4nz campaign happening March 21 – 23, 2011.
Throughout my 20's, I'd heard so many positive reports about travel in New Zealand, I was excited to schedule it as the second stop on my trip around the world. There were so many fun and adventurous activities on offer along the route I took through the North and South Islands, I was forced to pick and choose.
Here are 5 of my epic adventures in New Zealand from a month of traveling across both islands.
Heli-Hiking Franz Josef Glacier
As if walking around on my first glacier wasn't cool enough, I threw my first helicopter ride into the mix. And I had the front seat on the way up and back down. It was awesome. Both the helicopter, and the glacier. Walking around on crampons isn't easy, and at least one person in my group took a slide down an ice cave, but it was well worth the cost.
Franz Josef Glacier, along with Fox Glacier nearby, account for two of the world's three sub-tropical glaciers. The low elevation explains why you see all the green foliage in the photo above.
For more photos, check out my original post about heli-hiking Franz Josef Glacier.
Canyoning
Canyoning is an activity I'd wanted to try since I first read about it in a Lonely Planet Costa Rica guide. When I saw trips ran from Auckland, where I first arrived in the country, I immediately booked a spot.
Our guide was a pretty Chilean woman, and after suiting up in thick wetsuits and helmets, we proceeded to spend 5 hours sliding down rock chutes, jumping off cliffs, and abseiling over waterfalls. It was crazy.
For more, check out Canyoning – Abseils, Jumps and Chutes.
Tramping the Tongariro Crossing
Tramping in New Zealand (or hiking as the rest of us call the activity) is hugely popular on account of the varying geography, and beautiful scenery throughout the country. I didn't schedule any multi-day hikes, but I did make time to tramp the Tongariro Crossing, which is a ridge between two volcanoes on the North Island (with one of those volcanoes being the infamous Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings).
The weather was cloudy, and visibility was low most of the way, however it was a fun physical challenge, and my first serious hike.
Read more in my original post, Tramping the Tongariro Crossing.
Racing Go-Karts
Racing go karts in the mountains above Queenstown may not be as death-defying an activity as you can find, but it's insanely fun and the views are breathtaking. If the weather is decent, you'll be able to watch paragliders drifting around.
I had the pleasure of racing my bus driver, but he kicked my butt as I imagine he's been racing those go karts for years.
I celebrated Christmas 2007 in Queenstown, and though I didn't write much about it, you can read a few of my thoughts from the city in Scenic Views of Queenstown.
Queenstown Canyon Swing
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8SOrE5CbSE
Sure, I'll jump off a 360-foot (109-meter) platform into the abyss of Shotover Canyon….Twice! So watch the video above, and hear me scream like a girl. If massive swings aren't your style, there are plenty of bungy jumping options, as well as tandem skydives on offer.
To see videos of both my jumps, read Fear Factor: Riding the World's Highest Swing.
As I said at the top, New Zealand is an amazing, beautiful, kick-ass kinda country and I feel lucky to have had so much time there.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking uses and recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours
- Skyscanner for researching flights
- Hostelworld for booking hostels
- Airbnb for renting rooms and homes
- Rail Europe for train passes
- World Nomads for travel insurance
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Well one out of 5 ain’t bad – I took my mother up on a heli trip which landed on both Franz Josef and the other glacier (whose name escapes). I have found memories of the trip as it was the last one we did together before her death.
Lis – I’m sure your mom loved the experience. The other glacier is Fox. :)
You really do make NZ look like the Adventure place to be! The luge track above Queenstown is always a hit – but the views are crazy!
That go cart track looks awesome, they thing I can’t figure out though is why go carts are so expensive and it doesn’t seem to make much a difference where you do it. I’m dumbfounded how you can rent a scooter for $5 a day but a go cart for an hour will run you $30 more often $60.
Well, these certainly weren’t motorized go karts. Maybe I used the wrong word. They were the kind with a manual handbrake or foot pedal break. The kind that shake more and more as you gain speed. I was too timid going down, which is why the bus drivers blew past me.
NZ looks like such an amazing place, I can’t wait to go.
It makes me so nervous just watching peoples videos from Canyon Swings or bungee jumps. I have my own video from a skydive and I can’t bring myself to watch it, I find it more scary than the actual experience!
NZ lives up to its reputation — the biggest danger is to your wallet as you try not to do everything on offer.
These all sound great, especially hiking Tongariro Crossing. I love challenging hikes, so I can’t wait to experience that one myself.
yeah, from the pic i agree with u, the hiking seems a great one..so do i, i love to hike…
we can enjoy the nature by feet..
New Zealand is so awesome. Everywhere you turned there was something amazing to do. I wish I could go back and do a lot of things I missed out on. I headed there at the end of my trip and was pretty broke by then. Def head back there one day in the future.
New Zealand really is the adventure capital of the world, especially Queenstown and Glenorchy, and the scenery isn’t too bad either ;)
Yep, and the Kiwi businesses are excellent at extracting money from tourist wallets. But I gotta say everything was worth it, except maybe the jetboat ride I did in Queenstown. It wasn’t as much of an adrenaline rush as I’d built it up to be in my mind (for the past 20 years).
Man my palms started sweating watching/anticipating the swing jump. I can just imagine how you felt. Looks like one hell of a time!
One of the scariest moments of my life….which is why I don’t intend to do it again!
im just disparately waiting for my vacations , coz now i cant wait to go to New Zealand, 1 of my friend and his wife have been there and thir experience according to them was unforgettablehttp://knol.google.com/k/anonymous/best-hotel-rates-cheap-luxury-and-star/2y6m97c37njv8/2
Absolutely love your idea on go carts, repelling and hiking. How far is Tongariro Crossing from Rotorua? Do you recommend traveling by train?
I don’t recall off hand, but the North Island is so small it probably isn’t more than a few hours driving or by bus. I didn’t travel by train in New Zealand, so I can only speak for the hop on/hop off “backpacker” buses which were fun and easy.