Queenstown, New Zealand

If you’re into adventure and picturesque surroundings then the Queenstown area is for you. You’re adrenalin will be into over drive, as mine was. After just one day experiencing what Queenstown has to offer, you’ll be so hypo you’ll find it difficult to sleep.

Queenstown is located on New Zealand’s south island and is the Mecca for adventure enthusiasts around the world. It has more bungy jumping locations than most countries and is actually the birth place of the modern day bungy jump.

Just a short distance from Queenstown is Skippers Canyon. There you’ll find the 440 foot drop of the Nevis Highwire Bungy and other jumps of various heights, to suit everyone. It also has many other adrenalin adventure type experiences such as canyoning, skiboat trips, hiking, and mountain climbing just to name a few.

Be warned, if you’re afraid of heights then don’t bother going. It’s human nature not to want to fling ourselves over the edge of very tall places. Many people I saw took a lot of encouragement to actually be able to get up to the platforms and pods to jump, only to back out. There are tandem jumps for those who can’t bear doing it on their own.

Another really cool thing to do when in Queenstown is visiting the snow. The best places to go are Coronet Peak Ski Field and Cardona Ski Field. There you’ll find skiing to suit everyone. Coronet is one of the closest to Queenstown and buses run frequently between the two. Cardona is further away from Queenstown, approximately about an hours drive but there are buses that run regularly.

Accommodation in Queenstown is varied and quite reasonable but make sure you book ahead, especially during peak times. Otherwise you might find yourself out in the cold.

Finally, the people are friendly (if you can block out the accent – which grated on me after a while) and the scenery is magnificent.