The Kiwis are renowned for their love of adrenaline pumping activities. In fact 72% of the adult population in 2006 was found to be sportingly active with 46% being rated as highly active! This is an amazingly high figure, but not a surprising one once you have visited and get an insight into the kiwi mindset. These are the people who invented bungy jumping, are the world champions at sailing, Rugby is the national sport and you can find a Sky Diving centre in almost every town. Suffice to say that if you're looking for an activity it is almost certain you can do it in NZ, particularly if it has an element of danger!

Below find reviews of activities to find out where you can do them and where is best to do them according to the backpackers who have tried them.

Sky Diving

Sky Diving is an activity synonymous with New Zealand and one that most backpackers will try. This is for two main reasons. Firstly it is one of the cheapest places in the world to throw yourself out of a plane (bargain eh?!), but far more importantly the scenery is guaranteed to be breathtaking pretty much wherever you do it.

Most travelers will jump in Taupo as it is generally the cheapest place in New Zealand. It also has incredible views over tongariro national park and lake taupo, plus on a good day you can get coast-to-coast views of New Zealand! That said, on the South Island you can jump over Glacier country or some of the most fantastic lakes you could ever wish to see.

Below are some reviews and information of the various locations and companies on offer:

Skydive Abel Tasman Jump is one of the friendliest and most scenic locations in New Zealand, allowing you to jump from over 16000ft over the centre of NZ.

Alternatively, adventure seekers can skydive the glaciers with Skydive New Zealand, which provides Tandem skydiving in the West Coast of New Zealand, with fantastic views of the Southern Alps, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers and New Zealand mountains.

White Water Rafting

There are loads of places to face your fear of white water in New Zealand. Most backpackers will head to either Rotorua, River Valley or Queenstown for their rafting but there are many others on offer, all with different selling points. Below is a run through of some of the main rivers on offer.

Experience white water rafting on the famous and scenic Rangitikei river, where you can also do horseback riding, fly fishing and guided walks. The Rangitikei is a classic New Zealand white water rafting river. Grade 5 and Class 5, rafting adventures are suitable for most ages and abilities. Take in the beautiful scenery surrounding the Rangitikei river with steep technical rapids and truly awe inspiring cliffs. Accommodation is available at River Valley Lodge.

Zorbing

Zorbing is great fun. Simply put it is rolling down a steep hill in a giant inflatable ball with a bit of warm water in the mix! Generally people will have 'a wet threesome' which is exactly the same except with three of you in the ball at the same time! Recommended as something to do at least once in a lifetime – don’t be put off as its not as scary as it looks!

Luging

Speeding down a steep hill in gravity powered three wheeled carts. nuff said. Available in Rotorua and Queenstown.

As you can see the possibilities of fun things to do in NZ are endless. Because of the diverse range of spectacular sights in New Zealand, there are so many different adventure travel activities options here!

All Types of Accommodation in New Zealand

There are many different kinds of accommodation in New Zealand to suit all adventure travelers' needs, including hotels, motels, farm stays, bed and breakfasts, lodges, backpackers and home stays.