Extreme sports

Kiwis love anything that’s whacky, and aside from the regular menu of adventure exploits, there’s a host of weird and wonderful ways to keep yourself entertained. As a young island nation in the remote southern hemisphere, the need for self reliance inspired a culture of innovation in Kiwi society, which has in turn, led to some bizarre options for recreation and sport. Although these activities trick your mind into an extreme state of fright, they’re completely safe, and lots of fun. From rolling down a hillside inside an inflated plastic sphere, to taking a plunge into nothingness attached only by a rope—these activities are not for the faint hearted. One of the craziest things to try is the Shotover Canyon Swing—fall at a speed of up to 150 km/h from a position of about 100 m above the magnificent Shotover Gorge (near Queenstown), as you plunge into a 60-m-deep freefall that ends just inches from the vertical cliff face. Go beyond the realms of sanity, and redefine your definition of fun by adding one of these crazy exploits to your itinerary.