My trip to New Zealand had one major focus – to fight my biggest fears while exploring the highlights of New Zealand.
#SCARED BRITLESS
Taking inspiration from the many crazy kids in the Southern Hemisphere who think nothing of throwing themselves of buildings and out of planes, I was going to attempt to knock the quintessentially British wussiness out of me. I was going to be ‘scared Britless’.
For six weeks, I threw myself off more ledges than I care to think about, and battled an almost constant nausea brought on by the prospect of the next stupidly scary activity I had planned. But somehow, I made it through. I wasn’t always elegant in the process. In fact, I looked petrified almost the entire time, but I take some solace in the fact that I didn’t throw up once! Score!
Here’s a run down of the adventure highlights of New Zealand, with a few unmissable cultural and sightseeing activities thrown in for good measure:
HEIGHT BASED
For me, the activities involving heights were by far the most frightening. Even though the safety precautions in New Zealand are second to none, my irrational fear of falling gives me wobbly knees every time, even when secured by three harness cords or walking over a structure as sturdy as the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
FLYING A PLANE
By far the most unique experience I had in New Zealand was flying a stunt plane in an aerobatic display. Perhaps because I had to concentrate the whole time, it also wasn’t quite as petrifying as I’d imagined. Lasting 15-20 minutes, I had time to get used to the sensation and I was disappointed, rather than relieved, when it was over.
SKYDIVE
The skydive I did from 15,000 feet was also moderately less scary than I’d imagined. Don’t get me wrong – flinging your legs out through the door of a moving plane is not a walk in the park, but having an experienced instructor strapped to you the whole way down helps ease the nerves. It’s exhilarating, but not so terrifying that you’ll ever regret your decision.
BUNGY JUMPS
Bungy jumps were my nemesis. There is nothing more frightening than waddling with bound feet towards the edge of a protruding platform and willing yourself to jump head first into an abyss. For beginners, I’d recommend a jump of 50 metres or less. The Auckland Harbour Bridge was my first, followed by the Ledge Bungy in Queenstown, which you may find worse because it’s situated 400 metres up a hill, or you might find easier because you’re tied by the waist rather than your feet. I saved the Nevis Bungy till last. At 134 metres, it’s quite something!
OTHER FREE FALLING ACTIVITIES
In New Zealand, if there is a high structure, chances are, someone’s found a unique way to throw you off it. The Auckland Sky Tower is almost 200 metres high and you can leap off its top platform in a controlled base jump. Just check the weather first. It’s not ideal in gale-force winds and monsoon rain! Alternatively, you could try one of the canyon swings near Queenstown. The Nevis Swing is the biggest on Earth!
CAVING
For something really special, and different, take to the Waitomo Caves in style. The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company has a selection of assault courses, enabling you to make your way through underground passageways using zip lines, rappelling and ladder bridges. There is no doubt in my mind that the Black Abyss is their scariest option. Negotiating high cliff faces in the pitch black in a pair of wellington boots for three hours will really test your nerves. If you can’t face it though, their black water rafting options look like heaps of fun!
WATER BASED
CANYONING
One activity that could fall within the category of height- or water-based fun is canyoning. Available on both the north and south islands, this activity combines a test of your willpower with a chance to get out in some spectacular natural scenery. Piha, near Auckland, is a great location to rappel down some huge, high-velocity waterfalls and to throw yourself into splash pools and slide down slippery rocks. A little scary at first, this is awesome fun once you have the hang of it.
SLEDGING
The most interesting activity I tried in New Zealand was white water sledging. As part of a combo trip near Rotorua, which – for the record – also included rafting the highest commercially raftable waterfall in the world, we took to the river on plastic boards with handles. Propelled by fins and the sheer force of the river, we were sucked quickly down stream, over rapids and, at one point, under water for quite a significant amount of time! You should be comfortable with your swimming ability, but this is a relatively new sport you can’t help but get excited about.
SHARK DIVING
If you’re into getting up close and personal with nature’s most incredible animals, a dip in the shark tank at Auckland’s Sea Life Aquarium is a must. It’s safe and they take great care to ensure you don’t disturb the tank’s inhabitants. You don’t need to be a qualified diver. In fact, it’s a great way to get your first taste of scuba diving if you’ve never done it before.
SAILING
If you’re into sailing, it’s possible to take to the sea in an actual America’s Cup Yacht in Auckland harbour, and to get involved helping to rig the sails and even to steer it. It may not be a massively thrilling experience if sailing isn’t your cup of tea, but I can tell you I saw some nervous faces when the yacht was almost flipped on its side and speeding towards one of the nearby islands.
JET BOATING
One of the best known inventions to have originated in New Zealand is the jetboat, and you really should experience a ride in one of these at some point during your time in the country. I did mine from Taupo, which combined an exciting ride with a close-up view of one of New Zealand’s most visited natural attractions, Huka Falls. The Shotover in Queenstown has a reputation for getting its passengers particularly wet.
KAYAKING
For a more laid back aquatic experience, you can explore the gorgeous Abel Tasman National park on a kayaking trip from Motueka.
SCENIC TRIPS
If you are looking to explore some of New Zealand’s natural beauty, you will be spoiled for choice. Must see destinations include Milford Sound, Mount Cook and Fox and Franz Josef glaciers
GLACIER HIKING
At Fox and Franz Josef, it’s possible to take a scenic flight or to hike on the glaciers, exploring the many caves and tunnels.
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
Kaikoura is a beautiful spot best known for its wildlife. While you might have to be lucky with the weather in order to get out on a boat and do the whale watching or swimming with dolphins, there is also an amazing little place up the coast where you can see seal pups splashing about in a waterfall and chasing each other through the forest!
SCENIC RAIL JOURNEYS
For the most incredible train journey, take the scenic Kiwi Rail service between Christchurch and Greymouth. Negotiating Arthur’s Pass and providing GPS-activated commentary the entire way, this trip enables you to learn about the geography and history of the region while gazing at the spectacularly diverse scenery in comfort.
THERMALS
My overall favourite Kiwi destination for exploring on foot was the thermal parks of Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu near Rotorua. I spent a full day on a combo trip checking out geysers and brightly coloured pools and rocks.
CULTURAL AND SIGHTSEEING ACTIVITIES
While New Zealand is famous for its adventure activities and stunning scenery, there are a few things you can’t miss out on when you’re there.
MAORI EXPERIENCE
First of all, I feel like it’s important to immerse yourself in the Maori culture as much as possible. Westeners have only inhabited New Zealand for about 150 years and they have drastically changed the lifestyles of its Maori tribes. Make an effort to learn some of the language and be respectful. While the Maori experiences are not very authentic, they’re still a great way to pick up some knowledge and give you an idea of how things used to be.
HOBBITON AND LOTR TOURS
No matter whether or not you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, you can’t escape it so you might as well embrace it. The more involved and silly you get, the more fun you will have. On the north island, you can visit Hobbiton and check out the only remaining film set from the movies. Further south, in Wellington, you can visit the design workshop Weta Cave and re-enact scenes from the movies on location!
CHRISTCHURCH
It is also worth checking out Christchurch. It is important to appreciate the massive efforts that have been made to restore it since the earthquakes. Years later, the city is still devastated by the effects and tourism in the city and surrounding Canterbury Plains will help bring in money to the local economy.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
New Zealand is, without a doubt, one of the most diverse and beautiful countries you are ever likely to visit, and the range of activities to suit any age range or sense of adventure is astonishing. It’s easy to navigate, has pleasant weather the majority of the time, and the people are some of the friendliest in the world.
As a solo traveller, it’s reasonably easy to meet people, but the crowd does tend to be younger than in some parts of the world, and there’s more of a focus on short-term trips as opposed to long-term travel.
This is probably in part due to the fact that New Zealand is a relatively expensive place in which to live and travel. Many people get around this by applying for a work visa and getting jobs in hospitality to fund their travels, but if you can’t take the time out, it’s worth all your savings!
How did you fit all of this in?! Whilst I’ve never been to NZ, I get what you mean when you say that it’s too easy. I think that’s why I love South America so much. Regardless, it looks like it’s an absolutely stunning country, a one I would very much like to visit but definitely one I need to save up for!
Naomi recently posted..Salar de Uyuni Tour Day Three
It was a bit of a manic trip! I was tired by the time it finished. But it was also amazing! Yeah, it’s definitely worth seeing if you plan for it and save up a bit. Or, I guess, if you don’t want to do all the crazy activities it would be affordable too. My dad hired a van and did a lot of hiking, which I think wasn’t too expensive…
Airanwen, I consider myself a pretty good writer when it comes to storytelling. I’ve now read this word for word and looked at the pictures 3 times.I’m just speechless. I’m serious, I read everything word for word 3 times. Why no pictures from the skydiving adventure?? I will share this with you. It started
with you going over backwards bungee jumping. But, my eyes got welled up and tears started pouring down seeing you seated front right seat on that jet boat with a smile on your face. I can’t explain it. Just one of those moments where you read something that moves you emotionally. I loved, loved this post!!! It’s one of the best I’ve ever, ever read. I mean that. I don’t have much ummph on social media yet but I’m pushing this out to all platforms and to all of my friends on email here in the States. Thank you for a great few moments (your post) :)
Mike recently posted..My Top 10 +1 Classic Scary Movies
That means a lot. Thank you! I didn’t include skydiving pictures because I think I overdid it with the original post and a few guest posts too! I certainly had the time of my life in NZ. I hope I can inspire others to get out of their comfort zones when they’re there :)
Your bungee jump always remind me of the video for your jump in the Nevis:)
Great list!
Simon Lee
Simon Lee recently posted..Dim Sum Buffet Brunch in Ah Yat Abalone Restaurant KL
Thanks! I can’t watch that video without freaking out all over again!
Wow! Extreme places and quite an experience, Arianwen! I would love to pilot a stunt plane :)
Yes, that was the coolest thing I’ve ever done!
You took your fears head on and kicked them all right in the ass. You rock lady! I lived following along on your adventures in New Zealand. Every time I opened Facebook you were doing some other crazy activity. It definitely made me want to go to NZ!
Jennifer recently posted..Romantic Evenings in St. Petersburg
Haha. I think I gave my fears a weak slap around the face, but at least they still got a beating…! Thanks for following my adventures. I hope you get a chance to go there one day soon!
Nice recap! I’d never heard of white water sledging until now – it looks fun! And the Black Abyss sounds terrifying! Glad you conquered your fears though.
Dana Carmel @ Time Travel Plans recently posted..Charu Suri: On Writing, Travel, & Motherhood
Yeah, I only discovered the sledging when I was reading about activities in New Zealand. It was awesome. I’d love to do it again – especially if I could find some warmer water to do it in!
I cannot believe how much you managed to squeeze into your time in New Zealand. You’ve totally made me want to go and do ALL of this – except skydiving maybe.
Monica recently posted..A dream holiday to Barbados
Haha. Skydiving was amazing. You should definitely do that!
HI Arianwen, you’re very inspiring. Kudos to you for successfully facing your face head on. It was no easy feat considering the extremeness of the adventures you had done and back to back at that. I enjoyed reading your well-narrated NZ adventures and I’m just sad that it finally came to end. Thanks for taking us for the ride.
Marisol@TravelingSolemates recently posted..Thimphu, Bhutan (Part 1): The Festival, the Big Buddha and the City
Thanks. It was a fantastic trip and I really appreciate you following my adventures!
Sorry, I meant facing your “fear” head on.
I guessed! Facing my face is often quite a challenge too, especially first thing in the morning.
A very inspiring post for those so inclined. You’re much braver than I ever was, even when I was younger, Arianwen I kept my feet firmly on the ground when I was in New Zealand.
Andrew Graeme Gould recently posted..Santiago, Chile, 2012: Blue art and airport scene
Haha. Adventure activities aren’t for everyone. I’m craving a more relaxing beach holiday next!
New Zealand sounds like THE destination for adventure lovers. So many of these activities seem so unique to NZ.
jill recently posted..Reasons to Love My Time Out in Safranbolu
I know! There were so many experiences I never even knew you could do, like sledging and piloting a plane. It really was the most intense and exciting trip ever!
This still remains to me as one of my all-time favorite posts! Playing R.E.M. on the stereo and reading it again. The music is like a fine glass of wine and watching a classic movie to this. You are such an inspiration Arianwen :)
Mike recently posted..$200 Giveaway Contest!
Haha. Aw, thank you! I haven’t listened to R.E.M. in ages! I’ll have to look them up on Grooveshark now!
What do you mean New Zealand isn’t your favourite country…
Haha. I’m sorry! It is an amazing place. And I’m sure that anyone who travels there will love it. I just like a place to be a little more challenging. That’s all :)
Great roundup of a fascinating place! Can’t believe you bungeed three times!
Michael recently posted..Soggy days in Dublin are still camera-worthy
Neither can I!! I feel like that was a different person who did all that crazy stuff!
I lived on the North island for a year and a half but never even made it to the south island! What a shame!!!
chad recently posted..Eating fermented tofu in china
That really is a shame. There are so many great things to see and do on the South Island. I hope you make it back there one day!
I am about to embark on my first trip to New Zealand in a couple of weeks! I found this post very helpful as I have no idea what else to do there besides Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings nerd alert!) Thanks for the tips! ^_^
Lauren Metzler recently posted..On Mindful Living and All The Little Things…
Oh that’s great to hear! NZ has so much to offer! I’m actually back in Auckland now – until August 2. Let me know if you’ll be here before then and I’d be happy to meet up and chat about your trip! :)