New Zealand Adventure by Land, Sea & Air

Whether you come for a glacier hiking adventure, black water rafting or jumping off a bridge with little more than a bungee cord attached to your feet, New Zealand seems to exist simply to satisfy the human quest for adventure. And travelers who take advantage of it return to their daily lives with unique, and sometimes quirky, stories of their own.

By air, land and sea, there are adventurous options to suite every taste.

For Ian Swain, a helicopter enables his great West Coast Heli Adventure offered through Swain Tours. “You spend three nights at Grasmere Lodge and fly to the west coast for morning tea on the beach,” said Swain. “You visit glaciers, hike and enjoy lunch in the wonderful peaks high above the coastline. The trip ends at an old miners hut for an overnight stay.”

Vanessa Sawtell-Jones of Beverly Hills says, “I had a great experience black water rafting in Waitomo, New Zealand. I spent the afternoon repelling down caves, ziplining in the dark, gazing at the glow worms and spelunking through waterfalls. If you want to feel like Indiana Jones, this is the place to do it.”

And for Gregg Anderson of Tourism New Zealand, working as a grinder on a former America’s Cup yacht fits the bill for fun. “One of my favorite activities is the America’s Cup Sailing Experience with Explore NZ in Auckland, where you can sail on a former America’s Cup yacht,” he said. “It’s not just a leisurely sail though – you help the crew steer the yacht.”