Adventure Capital

About 15km outside of Queenstown is the Kawarau bridge, home of the worlds first commercial bungy jump operation, now there are a number of jumps in the area including a 143m jump from a cable car suspended over the skippers canyon or from a parasail high above Lake Wakatipu, yes indeed, we are all nuts in NZ!

What to do in Queenstown

There's also sky diving, paragliding, hang gliding, heli-skiing, skiing and snow boarding, jet boating, white water rafting, mountain biking, 4wd motorbikes, the list goes on and on. Highly recommended activities include: Scenic Jet boat - a little different from the adrenaline buzz of the Shotover jet the Dart river jet boat safari takes you in to the heart of the breathtaking Dart and Rees valley's. This is a half day adventure that utilizes the jet boat for what it was originally designed to do, easily access pristine back country valleys.

Bungy Jumping

Bungy - AJ Hackett started commercial bungy jumping and have an excellent safety record. If you just want to check it out then the Kawarau bridge jump just outside Queenstown is a great choice, at 44m it's has great vantage points for spectators to give you that extra encouragement and, you can bury yourself in the water if you like. If you are a real freak then perhaps the Nevis is your thing 143m above the Shotover river from a cable car. WARNING-take spare undies!!!!

Other popular activites include paragliding, hangliding, white water rafting, river surfing, mountain biking, fly by wire, horse riding, quad bikes, the list just keeps on going!

Lake Wakatipu

Lake Wakatipu, like the other great southern lakes, Pukaki, Ohau, Tekapo, Te Anau and Manapouri, is the remnant of a giant glacial valley carved out over four ice ages and 200 million years of erosion. Lake Wakatipu is over 1 km deep at it's deepest point. The strangest phenomenon of Lake Wakatipu is an anomaly called seiches, the level of the lake can rise and fall 12cm within five minutes. This is attributed to weather and atmospheric conditions, local Maori however believe this is caused by the breathing of the great giant Matau.

The Great Matau

In the deep south lived a beautiful girl, known through out the region for her shiny black hair and chocolate brown eyes, she was the daughter of a chief, her name was Matana. Matana had a young lover Matakauri but her father disapproved of this relationship, he did not think Matakauri was good enough for his beloved daughter, and forbid them to see each other.

One morning when the village arose, they discovered Matana was missing, she had vanished in the night. The villages searched everywhere but couldn't find a trace. Suddenly some yelled out, they had found a foot print, not just any footprint though, this was as big as a house. Everyone knew what had happened, she had be taken by Matau, the biggest and most feared giant in the south. Matau was as big as a mountain, but worse, he had a mighty temper! The chief begged all the warriors in the village to go in pursuit of his daughter but all refused, it's too dangerous they yelled, all but one, Matakauri was not afraid, he strode off in search of his love determined he would bring her back and so win her hand.

Matakauri snuck into the giants lair, there was the giant, fast asleep, his love tied to the sleeping monster with ropes made from nearby bushes. Knowing he would be killed if the giant awoke Matakauri crept past careful to stay downwind, he climbed on to the ropes and swung his pounamu axe. To his surprise nothing happened, he tried to cut the ropes again but still, not even a mark. Again and again he tried. Matana gave up hope of being freed and begged Matakauri to leave before the giant awoke. She began to cry her tears falling on the ropes that held her prisoner, suddenly they began to untangle and she was able to escape. Matakauri then returned and built a huge fire surrounding the giants lair moulding Matau to the land for ever. His breath can still be seen on the lake today.

Links

Check out the following links:

• Get ready for the world's most exciting jet boat ride with Shotover Jet

Favourite Spot in NZ - Darren (Ace Christchurch)

My favourite part of New Zealand is around Lake Tekapo. in the central South Island I'm really in to photography and the colours around there are awesome, I just love it!