New Zealand is the capital of outdoor activities. There is something about the air in New Zealand that makes you want to be adventurous .New Zealand’s spacious, lush green and clean aired landscape, vast lakes, serene fiordlands, well preserved glaciers, ice cap Mountains, surfer friendly sea shores make all the outdoor activities conducive for every adventure seeker. To make these adventure activities easily accessible to visitors, New Zealand has put a world class tourism infrastructure. Tourism information centres are spread across the length and breadth of New Zealand. Visitors can avail all sorts of information and plan their itinerary with guidance from the staff. The information centres are centralized making it very convenient for visitors to book activities across the whole of New Zealand from any one of the information centres. The colorful and informative brochures are offered for free giving complete details of your destination or activity chosen. The information centres also help you to book accommodation, car rental services, organized guided tours, flight reservations etc.

Aerial Sightseeing

Aerial sightseeing is one of our most popular visitor attractions and people often say that a scenic flight has been the highlight of their New Zealand holiday. Take off into clear blue skies for a unique perspective on New Zealand’s breathtaking mountain, glacier, and fiord, lake and river scenery. Most of our tourist resort towns have scenic flight operators based at the local airport, offering rides on helicopters, light aircraft, floatplanes or ski planes. Usually you can arrange for a scenic flight at short notice as the planes are constantly shuttling to and fro with flight durations ranging from 20-90 minutes. It’s a wonderful way to see the incredible contrasts in landscape that are packed into our islands. The Mt Cook and Westland National Parks are the focus of attention in the South Island. Scenic flights originate in Mt Cook, Twizel, Wanaka, Queenstown, Fox and Franz Josef, circling the towering snow-capped peaks of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman and crossing the névé of huge glaciers on a Grand Tour. Milford Sound excursions operate from Queenstown and Te Anau, sometimes in combination with a boat cruise and coach journey. Others are coupled with jet boating, rafting, skiing or snow landings. Kaikoura has the notable ‘Wings Over Whales’ whale watch flights to observe the great sperm whales. The North Island has spectacular ‘Volcanic Air Safaris’ over Mt Tarawera and the steaming ruins of White Island.

Sky Diving

For the adventure savvy travelers, sky diving is one of the must to do activities. Take to the clear skies above New Zealand's beautiful countryside and jump from the plane, in one of the most exhilarating, adrenaline-pumping thrills you will ever find - skydiving. For the first 30 seconds of your skydive in New Zealand you will free fall at around 200 kilometres per hour. Then, once your chute is open, you will drift gently for five minutes or so as you head towards the ground. There are many tour operators offering skydiving experience to the visitors. Experienced skydivers can go on solo. For new bees, you can tandem skydive with an experienced instructor. Almost all the tour operators offer skydiving lessons with graded certification. Look for New Zealand skydiving opportunities near Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Hastings, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka.

Paragliding & Hand Gliding

                              

Parasailing

Parasailing, also known as parascending, is a recreational activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed parachute, known as a parasail. The boat then drives off, carrying the parascender into the air. If the boat is powerful enough, two or three people can parasail behind it at the same time. The parascender has little or no control over the parachute. Queenstown is the best place to take a parasailing ride over the majestic Lake Wakatipu with The Remarkables Mountains in the background.

Balloon Ride

Hot Air Balloon ride is one of the most spectacular family friendly adventure activities. You have to rise early to catch a hot air balloon flight, but the experience beats a sleep-in every time. As you float over a world that is only just waking up, your smile will be as wide as the horizon. Christchurch and Queenstown has the best balloon ride spots. It’s a must to take the balloon ride in the dawn to witness the eye catching sun rise over the Canterbury plains. You have to rise early to catch a hot air balloon flight, but the experience beats a sleep-in every time. As you float over a world that is only just waking up, your smile will be as wide as the horizon.

Bungy Jumping

You simply can’t go past bungy jumping. It’s a complete head game where you have nothing to fear but a massive air rush and a surge of adrenalin that can last for days. Bungy jumping captures the true essence of the Kiwi outdoor lifestyle. While you’re visiting New Zealand, the birthplace of bungy, don’t miss the opportunity to try it out at some of the world’s finest jump sites. Queenstown has five different sites as well as a Parabungy operation. This is where you can rise to a great height under a parachute and then hurtle earthwards in a fantastic free-fall. Auckland has the Harbour Bridge bungy and the Sky Tower sky jump. Other bungy operations can be found at Rotorua, Taupo, Mangaweka, Hanmer Springs and Mt Hutt Ski Field. The jump is strictly controlled to ensure your complete safety. Your ankles are strapped and the correct bungy cord selected for your weight. You hobble to the platform edge, muster all your courage for a cheesy grin at the camera and await the countdown. Before you start to rationalise why on earth you are doing it, you take a deep breath and swan-dive into space with a bloodcurdling scream.

Canoeing & Kayaking

Canoeing in New Zealand is popular on the Whanganui River, which provides the only access to the interior of the Whanganui National Park. A number of operators run canoe trips, which can be arranged in Taumarunui, Raetihi, Ohakune, or National Park. Kayaking in New Zealand provides a perfect opportunity to explore New Zealand's beaches, lakes, and rivers. Sea kayaking in New Zealand is also an exciting way to explore parts of New Zealand’s beautiful and extensive coastline, and an excellent way to get up close to seals, penguins, and other wildlife. Milford Sound is one of many fiords indenting the rugged coast of Fiordland National Park, which at 1.2 million hectares is New Zealand's largest park. Kayakers in the sound’s calm deep waters are often escorted by playful dolphins enjoying the company of humans in this remote wilderness.

Sailing

Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large pieces of canvas cloth called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat. Mastery of the skill requires experience in varying wind and sea conditions, as well as knowledge concerning sailboats. New Zealand boat and sailing tours expose unspoiled coastlines where you may see beautiful marine wildlife. The Bay Of Islands is one of the prime spots for sailing.

White Water Rafting

Almost all the New Zealand Rivers are perfect for white water rafting. So are the abundantly available tour operators offering white water rafting experience to the tourists. The Shotover River and Kawaru River have the best white water rafting experiences, while Rangitata River is considered to be New Zealand’s best.

Jet Boating

A visit to New Zealand is incomplete without a jetboat experience. Like a jet aircraft, a jet boat has no external propeller. Instead, it squirts water out at high speed just below the surface behind the boat. This allows the boat to operate in depths of only a few centimeters. Sit back, buckle yourself in and feel the acceleration. A New Zealand jet boat ride will take you powering through narrow river gorges, almost brushing against sheer rock faces; or skimming across the surface of water channels that weave through the shingle banks of braided rivers. Jet boating is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness, and can be enjoyed the whole year round. Some of the most exhilarating trips are available near Queenstown and Canterbury. The Shotover river jet has the most thrilling of all the rides.

Fishing

New Zealand's trout and salmon fishing is widely reputed because of the beautiful scenery, well-conditioned trophy fish and the variety of the New Zealand fly fishing experience.  New Zealand also offers coarse fishing and great sea fishing. An experienced New Zealand fishing guide can provide invaluable expertise, transport, and often fly fishing tackle as well.

Marine Life Watching

New Zealand is gifted with vast coast line supporting marine life. New Zealand climate is conducive for variety of Penguins, seals and whales. The eastern coast of South Island has some of the best penguin habitats. The coastline of Oamaru is home to the blue penguins and Dunedin is home to the yellow eyed penguins. Kiakoura is known for whale watching experiences. A wide variety of whales such as sperm head whales, blue whales, hump back whales etc. migrate to the Kaikouran coastline on a seasonal basis. Visitors can also visit the seal colonies along the coastline.

Bird Watching

Whether you are an ardent ‘twitcher’ in search of rare species, or simply want to hear some melodious birdsong, New Zealand’s fascinating bird population offers hours of entertainment. More than 80 types of seabird breed along New Zealand’s shores. Some migrate annually from the other side of the world and others are only found within New Zealand waters. Few of the must do bird watching activities are the albatross feeding across the high waters of Kaikoura sea.

Golf

Golf is the highest participation sport in New Zealand and was named the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year in 2002 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. Since then thousands of golfers from around the world have experienced the unique attractions that New Zealand has to offer. And the golf industry in New Zealand continues to grow and develop. A number of new resort courses have been carved out of the dramatic landscape to complement the already impressive selection of courses around the country. New Zealand - offering silence, scenery, fresh clean air and of course world class golf courses with great golfing for all levels of golfer. The people are friendly, the golf experience is mesmerizing, the golf courses are challenging and the golf accommodation is memorable.

Horse Trekking

Horse riding in New Zealand is one of the best ways to get closer to nature and appreciate the pace and feel of the New Zealand countryside. The majority of New Zealand horse trek operators are featured, both North Island and South Island, complete with photographs, descriptions and contact information. If you are new to riding you might prefer a hour or two in the saddle just to "try it out", while the more adventurous may prefer a multi-day complete outback adventures, including camping, meals and great Kiwi company. Regardless of your preferences there are sure to be great horse trekking adventure just waiting for you. Relax, breathe in the spectacular NZ terrain, lush bush and stunning coastal scenery, and enjoy.

Mountain Biking

New Zealand offers a top selection of mountain biking and cycling attractions and activities to enjoy the great outdoors and superb scenery. With cyclists all over the country, New Zealand plans on becoming one of the leading cycling nations in the world. Cycling in New Zealand is also a significant tourism industry. Because of the wide support for cycling, New Zealand bike tours are now a growing industry. It can be as simple as half day bike rentals for trips around the city, or it can be a 15 day adventure tour across the South Island with pre-booked accommodation in the best B&Bs you can find. New Zealand offers a unique environment for any cycling enthusiast. The variety of terrain, beautiful landscapes and friendly people make it perfect for New Zealand bike tours.

Mountaineering

Mountains are a dominant feature of the New Zealand landscape with mountaineering opportunities for climbers of all abilities. Mountaineering is a breathtaking climbing experience. New Zealand, the home of Sir Edmund Hillary, provides a superb environment for mountaineering. For mountaineering in New Zealand, the South Island is well known for the spectacular Southern Alps, forming the backbone of the island. They offer an impressive selection of challenging climbs, with 19 peaks over 3,000 meters high, including the well known Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain. Most tracks can be walked year-round, although some of the high altitude tracks in the South Island are restricted by winter weather. Commercial guides are available and specialist companies run courses covering a range of climbing experiences.

Skiing & Snowboarding