Life in New Zealand is very much tied to the Great Outdoors, and no visit to the country would be complete without spending a fair chunk of your time in intimate contact with nature.
The lofty peaks of the Southern Alps are perfect for challenging
mountaineering
and great
skiing
, and the lower slopes are ideal for multi-day
tramps
which cross low passes between valleys choked with sub-tropical and temperate rainforests. Along the coasts there are sheltered lagoons and calm harbours for gentle
swimming
and
boating
, but also sweeping strands battered by some top-class
surf
.
Kiwis have long taken it for granted that within a few minutes' drive of their home they can find a deserted beach or piece of "bush" and wander freely through it, an attitude enshrined in the fabulous collection of
national
,
forest
and
maritime parks
. They are all administered by the
Department of Conservation (DOC)
, Visitor Information Centre, PO Box 5086, Wellington (tel 04/472 7356, fax 471 2075,
www.doc.govt.nz
) which struggles to balance the maintenance of a fragile ecology with the demands of tourism. For the most part it manages remarkably well, providing a superb network of well-signposted paths studded with trampers' huts; operating visitor centres that present highly informative material about the local history, flora and fauna; and publishing excellent leaflets for the major walking tracks.
For some years New Zealand has been addicted to outdoor thrills and spills, and now promotes itself as the
adventure tourism
capital of the world. All over the country you will find places to go
bungy jumping
, whitewater or cave
rafting
,
jetboating
, tandem
skydiving
,
mountain biking
, stunt
flying
,
scuba diving
, in fact you name it and someone somewhere organizes it. The New Zealand DIY ethic reigns supreme and it sometimes seems as though every Kiwi in possession of a minibus and a mobile phone runs an adventure-tourism business. While thousands of people participate in these activities every day without incident, standards of
instructor training
do vary. It seems to be a point of honour for all male (and they are almost all male) river guides, bungy operators and tandem parachute instructors to play the macho card and put the wind up you as much as possible. Such bravado shouldn't necessarily be interpreted as a genuine disregard for
safety
, but the fact remains that there have been quite a few well publicized injuries and deaths in recent years - a tragic situation that's finally being addressed by industry-regulated codes of practice and an independent system of
accreditation
.
Before engaging in any adventure activities, check your
insurance cover
.
Tramping
Tramping
, trekking, bushwalking, hiking - call it what you will, it is one of the most compelling reasons to visit New Zealand, and for many the sole objective. Even if the concept sounds appalling, you should try it once; reluctant trampers are...
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Swimming, surfing and windsurfing
Kiwi life is inextricably linked with the
beach
and from Christmas to the end of March (longer in the warmer northern climes) a weekend isn't complete without a dip or a waterside barbecue - though you should never underestimate the ferocity...
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Sailing
New Zealand's numerous harbours studded with small islands and ringed with deserted bays make
sailing
one of Kiwis' favourite pursuits. Kids are often introduced to the tiny "P Class" dinghies before they're riding bikes, and many...
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Scuba diving and snorkelling
The waters around New Zealand's coast offer some superb opportunities for
scuba diving
and
snorkelling
. What they lack in tropical warmth and fabulously colourful fish they make up for with the range of diving environments. Pretty...
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Rafting
Whitewater rafting
is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling of New Zealand's adventure activities, negotiating challenging rapids
amid gorgeous scenery. Visitor numbers and weather restrict the main
rafting season
to...
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Canoeing and kayaking
New Zealand is a paddler's paradise, and pretty much anywhere with water nearby has somewhere you can
rent
either canoes or kayaks.
Sometimes this is simply an opportunity to muck around in boats but often there is some kind of...
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Jetboating
The shallow, braided rivers of the high Canterbury sheep country posed access difficulties for run-owner Bill Hamilton, who got around the problem by inventing the
Hamilton Jetboat
. His inspired invention could plane in as little as 100mm of...
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Bungy jumping, bridge swinging and rap jumping
For maximum adrenalin, minimum risk and greatest expense, you can't go past
bungy jumping
. Not only is New Zealand the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping, it also has some of the world's finest jump sites - bridges over deep canyons and...
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Canyoning and mountaineering
The easiest way to get your hands on New Zealand rock is to go
canyoning
, which involves following a steep and confined river gorge or streambed down chutes and over waterfalls for a few hours, sliding, jumping and abseiling all the way. This...
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Flying, skydiving and paragliding
Almost every town in New Zealand seems to harbour an airstrip or a helipad, and there is inevitably someone happy to get you airborne for half an hour's
flightseeing
. The best of these cross the truly spectacular mountain scenery of the...
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Skiing and snowboarding
New Zealand's
ski season
(roughly June to October or November) starts as snows on northern hemisphere slopes finally melt away. This, combined with the South Island's backbone of 3000m peaks and the North Island's equally lofty volcanoes, make...
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Fishing
Kiwis grow up fishing: virtually everyone seems to have fond memories of long days out on a small boat trailing a line for snapper, if only to stock the beachside barbecue. All around the New Zealand
coast
, but particularly in the north of the...
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Horse trekking
New Zealand's highly urbanized population leaves a huge amount of countryside available for
horse trekking
, occasionally along beaches, often through patches of native bush and tracts of farmland; there may even be an opportunity to swim the...
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Mountain biking
If you prefer a smaller saddle, you'll find a stack of places renting out
mountain bikes
. For a quality machine, you might be paying over $40 a day, but for that you get a bike, a helmet and a headful of advice about local routes. The main...
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