5 Thrilling Adventures You Can Only Have in New Zealand

Shotover Canyon Swing

With an almost 200-foot-high freefall that propels you into a 656-foot-high swing (where you'll reach speeds up to 93 miles per hour), Queenstown's Shotover Canyon Swing is the world's highest cliff jump. Too scared to make the jump yourself? Let the experienced staff release you from a special launch boom over the cliff. You can pick from more than 70 different jump styles, including The Chair (pictured above) and others in which you're dangled upside-down over the canyon before being released. They usually let you jump twice in one visit!

Ogo

Have you ever dreamed of being inside a giant hamster exercise ball? The Ogo lets humans get in on the fun and throws in some water to make it even more of an adventure. Grab a friend (or go it alone) and jump inside this giant, inflatable plastic ball. Inside, find water (cold or warm depending on the outside temperature) and nothing to hold onto. Brace yourself, because the happy Ogo workers will push you down a bumpy hill in Rotorua, and you'll get to feel what it's like to be inside a washing machine—one with no "stop" button.

Bungy

Anywhere else in the world, jumping off a bridge might be considered a cry for help. In New Zealand, it's just another adventure activity. You can really feel how far you'll be plummeting as you climb step-by-step up the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Partway through the climb, it's go time—you'll be attached by the foot to your lifeline and expected to jump headfirst towards Waitemata Harbour below. Three bounces later, the workers will haul you back up and you can complete the bridge climb on shaking legs. Scared? Take comfort in the fact that the company that runs the bridge climb and bungy jump is the inventor of the commercial bungy himself, A.J. Hackett Bungy.

Blackwater Rafting

Jumping backwards off a waterfall isn't really extreme—unless you do it in the dark, in a subterranean river. Sign up for a rafting tour with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Company and you'll get to take a couple leaps of faith off waterfalls into a rushing river—with only a headlamp and some glowworms to light your way. The rafting takes place in the famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, which are lit by thousands of tiny fluorescent insects.

Quad-Bike Safari

Want to see New Zealand's scenery without having to slow down? Hop aboard a four-wheel motorbike "safari" with 4 Track Adventures and you'll get both an adrenaline rush and some sightseeing. Zip around 20 miles of forest track, plus an on-the-sand ride on Muriwai Beach, just outside Auckland city. No experience—or even a driver's license—necessary.

More From Smartertravel:

• New Zealand Travel Guide
• 10 Best Places to Go in New Zealand
• When to Visit New Zealand
• What to Eat in New Zealand
• Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Filming Locations in New Zealand
• Adventure Activities in New Zealand

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