There is something about New Zealand and thrill-seeking daredevilry. It's just a kind of national sport to seek out super crazy insane situations to put yourself in and to get to not die. It seems to something to do with the natural environment of New Zealand. With all its wondrously rugged mountains, valleys and spectacular coastline, to citizens who loves adventure, New Zealand has something to offer everyone. You visit India for its ancient temples and culture; you visit America for its spectacular energy for life and for its scenery; you visit New Zealand to almost kill yourself. But only almost.
New Zealanders have thought up and perfected such a range of adventurous activities to sell to tourists. What kind of death defying acts would be your pleasure - the original, bungee jumping? How about fly by wire or monorail cycling called Shweeb or the hamster ball - a very limited selection of all the adventure New Zealand has to offer, to be sure. How exactly did New Zealand get to be this way? Why are its citizens so obsessed with death-defying adventure? And how does the bug get everyone?
If New Zealand is the world capital of adventure, Queenstown in New Zealand (of the South Island) is the country's adventure capital. TripAdvisor says so. Arrive here, and the town doesn't really seem like much - a handful of streets, and a lake. The only stores here sell stuff for tourists and there are no end of hotels and hostels all over the place. In this unassuming little place, they offer you ways to tease death that you would never dream of otherwise - right from skydiving to strange names that you would never be able to interpret if no one ever told you - BASE jumping, parapenting, snow kiting and other such oddities.
They say that all the adventure New Zealand lives through each day as part of its national character comes from the Maori tribes - the aboriginals of the land. They were an adventurous a group and they inspired the settlers. Add to that the way New Zealanders are an naturally inventive bunch who can't wait to see what happens when they push the envelope, and you have a terribly volatile mixture. And of course, life isn't valued in New Zealand as it is in America. If something happens to you when you're in the middle of an adventure, you can't sue anyone. That's not how New Zealand works.
Zorbing is a particularly insane activity. You lock yourself into a huge air-filled ball and then you roll yourself downhill. It's pretty popular in lots of countries around the world. A true New Zealand export. Make sure that you research all the different companies that offer adventure services when you land in New Zealand. Planning ahead will ensure that you actually make it back.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
I Have Always Been Intrigued By Adventure Tourism
I have never been one to go on vacation and just lounge around. I have always preferred to be out and about — doing things I would not normally get to do at home. One thing that has always interested me is adventure tourism
, and while I think I might want to give it a shot one day, I am not sure it is something I would want to do every time I take a trip.
Adventure tourism packages can range from location to location, but most often, I will see them to countries in Africa, Asia or South America. They are typically to places that are not considered as “developed,” and hence add to the intrigue and adventure. One that I saw that I particularly wanted to try was an African safari where I would get the opportunity to see animals up close that I normally would only see in the zoo or on the National Geographic Channel.
It was through Zambia and relatively safe — as safe as a safari can be, anyway. I saw some footage of one of the tours and it looked like a lot of fun. I was not sure if I wanted to take my children on such a trip, but I figured it would be a great opportunity for me to discover a part of the world with which I was not very familiar.
I saw another brochure for adventure tourism for the Yukon Territory. I found this simply fascinating, because again, it was a part of the world with which I was not very familiar and I would have to survive in conditions that most people besides Inuits rarely ever encounter. I spoke to a friend of mine who participated in a trip to the Yukon Territory, and he said it was not for the faint of heart.
There was also the advertisement for adventure tourism in the Australian Outback. I know that most of this area is uninhabitable, and I used to love to watch Steve Erwin hunt crocodiles and snakes in the region. He just made it look like it was so much fun that one almost forgot how dangerous it actually was.
Adventure tourism is not for everybody, and I have not taken advantage of such a package yet. I see them all of the time and I know that eventually the temptation will be too great to resist. I can imagine one of two things happening if I do ever make the jump. Either I realize that I am not cut out for it and never go on such a vacation again, or I become completely hooked, and never go on a different kind of vacation.
, and while I think I might want to give it a shot one day, I am not sure it is something I would want to do every time I take a trip.Adventure tourism packages can range from location to location, but most often, I will see them to countries in Africa, Asia or South America. They are typically to places that are not considered as “developed,” and hence add to the intrigue and adventure. One that I saw that I particularly wanted to try was an African safari where I would get the opportunity to see animals up close that I normally would only see in the zoo or on the National Geographic Channel.
It was through Zambia and relatively safe — as safe as a safari can be, anyway. I saw some footage of one of the tours and it looked like a lot of fun. I was not sure if I wanted to take my children on such a trip, but I figured it would be a great opportunity for me to discover a part of the world with which I was not very familiar.
I saw another brochure for adventure tourism for the Yukon Territory. I found this simply fascinating, because again, it was a part of the world with which I was not very familiar and I would have to survive in conditions that most people besides Inuits rarely ever encounter. I spoke to a friend of mine who participated in a trip to the Yukon Territory, and he said it was not for the faint of heart.
There was also the advertisement for adventure tourism in the Australian Outback. I know that most of this area is uninhabitable, and I used to love to watch Steve Erwin hunt crocodiles and snakes in the region. He just made it look like it was so much fun that one almost forgot how dangerous it actually was.
Adventure tourism is not for everybody, and I have not taken advantage of such a package yet. I see them all of the time and I know that eventually the temptation will be too great to resist. I can imagine one of two things happening if I do ever make the jump. Either I realize that I am not cut out for it and never go on such a vacation again, or I become completely hooked, and never go on a different kind of vacation.
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