Last updated: 25 June 2023
Situated on the Ring of Fire in the South Pacific, New Zealand embraces the risk taking mentality to the max. Here you can experience almost anything – bungee jump, para-glide, go rafting through rapids or find yourself soaring through the sky at 14,000ft. If that’s too much for you, there are plenty of geothermal baths for a relaxing soak.
To some, NZ is the adventure capital of the world. Fortunately for us Aussies, it’s a quick flight across the ditch for a cheap adventure packed holiday.
I found myself in Lake Taupo. Located on the North Island, it is a giant caldera, which was formed as a result from volcanic activity. At almost 200km in circumference, the Lake has a depth of 186m in parts. That’s a little more than the Space Needle in Seattle and a little less than the BT Tower in London!
On a road trip around the Lake I stumbled across bungee jump in Lake Taupo. It was incredibly scenic, and there was a moment where I thought, yes I can do this! Then I heard the screams. Most of them were terrified blood curdling type rather than the ‘yahoooooo’ you might expect. It chilled me to the core, it was then that I lost all nerve to bungee.
But there was plenty of people that did have the nerve.
I met a couple of 50 year old women that had nerves of steel. They jumped together and raved about their experience. “I feel so alive” she said, with just a glimmer of crazy in her eyes. As I sat on the bank, I watched so many others tandem jump. The bravest of them all jumped solo.
Ankles tied together, the wiggled their way along the plank. There’s a moment while they’re sitting on the edge and you know they’re debating their fate. Will I make it? Will the rope snap? How much will it hurt when I hit the water below?
Safe to say, everyone made it. All flushed from the rush of adrenaline & wet from their dip in the Lake but all proud and strengthened by their experience.
Further upstream there was plenty of raging waters for those wanting to try their fate at the rapids.
However if this all seems a bit ‘full on’, there are calm parts of the lake such as Waitako River, where paddlers glide their way across the Lakes’ crystal blue waters. This is certainly the more low key side of events in Taupo!
If chilling out and relaxing is what floats your boat then I can certainly recommend a geothermal bath. There are also places you can visit to see the bubbling mud pools and some of which you can go into.
This is certainly not the limit of things to do in the Taupo area. If more water activities are of interest you can water ski, kayak and sailing are all options for you. For land based ventures, NZ has some of the best hiking trails in the world, mountain biking to accommodate all abilities as well as sightseeing to somewhere like Huka Falls where more than 200,000L of water roars over the cliff face every second.
NZ is certifiably adventure packed and I haven’t even delved into the winter season sports!
I loved New Zealand and it certainly lives up to its reputation as an adventure destination. I always said I wouldn’t do a bungy, and I ended up doing three!! It’s petrifying when you waddle to the edge of the platform, but there’s no better feeling than when you start plummeting into the canyon!! 🙂
WOW 3?! I thought I could do it. I really did. But watching people jump and the scream I just lost my nerve. I was pleased no money had changed hands!