The World's Top Spot for Adrenaline Junkies: New Zealand
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Zorbing
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Canyon Swing
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Abseiling
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White Water Rafting
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Bungee Jumping
New Zealand's North Island; Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour/Oyster
Ahh, New Zealand. Never has a place made it so easy to jump out of planes, off bridges, through canyons (backwards, strapped to a chair), and from the tops of mountains.
There’s no denying that this is the place for adrenaline junkies, but where exactly should you go and what activities should you do to get your kicks the next time you visit the land of the long white cloud? We’ll show you.
Where: Rotorua, North Island
If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to be inside of a large plastic ball as it rolls down a mountain at 30 miles per hour, zorbing is for you. You’ll get the option of doing it wet or dry, alone or with someone else inside -- but any way you choose, you’re sure to end up laughing.
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Where: Queenstown, South Island
Shotover Canyon Swing is the ultimate thrill; it’s similar to bungy jumping, except you’re wearing a harness around your waist, as opposed to your feet, and you can jump in a variety of ways: backwards, forwards, strapped to a chair, tied to someone else -- you name it. Swinging in Shotover Canyon means a 60m freefall and a killer rush.
Where: Waitomo, North Island
If scaling down the side of a vertical rock face into a dark hole makes you tingle with excitement, it doesn’t get any better than abseiling in Waitomo, where you can combine your absail with caving and see some glow worms to boot!
Where: Rotorua, North Island, Kaituna River
There are dozens of rivers and rafting opportunities in New Zealand, but the Kaituna River is the big kahuna of them all. These grade 5 rapids will have you bumping and bouncing as you cruise your way down river to a 7-meter drop down Tutea Falls, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.
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Where: Queenstown
You can’t talk about adrenaline in New Zealand without talking about bungee jumping. This is, after all, where AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch set up the world’s first commercial bungee jump from the Kawarau River bridge. These days New Zealand is known as the home of the bungee, and people come from all over the world to tie their legs together and check out some of the highest jumps in the world, like the Nevis, a 134m-high jump that has an 8.5 second freefall.
Ready to check out New Zealand? Take a look at our 10 best hotels first!