Adrenaline junkie
Brook Sabin’s just buzzing about Rotorua
Awarning: what you’re about to read is not for the faint-hearted. We’ve been sampling some of New Zealand’s best thrills, such as flying over whitewater on a plastic tube. We’ve even gone to a secret waterfall through a crack in the Earth.
Many consider Queenstown to be our adventure capital, but what we’ve found in Rotorua is far superior.
River sledging
Imagine riding a luge down whitewater rapids, but lying down. Welcome to river sledging.
The trip is on the Kaituna River, best known for its enormous waterfall that people fly over in rafts.
But fear not, sledging starts in the whirlpool at the bottom of the waterfall. There, our guides began issuing military-style instructions for each rapid, including what to do if you flip over.
By the way, if this happens you need to perform a hula hoop-type thrust of the hips to get your sledge back upright.
It turns out, my thrusting needs a little work. When I flipped over, instead of an elegant hula hoop, I resembled an ostrich attempting the macarena.
We continued down the river for 40 minutes, flying down rapids such as the Cheese Grater with ease. It’s the most fun I’ve had on a river.
Ideal for: If you want more adventure than rafting, and you’re a confident swimmer.
Price: $129.
The Squeeze
This trip takes you to a secret geothermal waterfall deep in the bush but, first, you need to squeeze through a crack in the Earth to get there.
As the name suggests, this is not for those who suffer from extreme claustrophobia.
After a thrilling 30-minute ride down the Waikato river, passing centimetres under trees and around rocks, you reach an isolated geothermal field full of steaming fumaroles.
This is where the real fun starts. You leave the boat behind and begin wading up a hot-water river.
The waterway quickly turns into a narrow crack in the land, almost like a miniature gorge, just wide enough to squeeze through. Depending on rain-flow, the stream could be up to your waist, or your neck.
It’s not so tight that you’ll need Vaseline, but it will test your relationship with smaller spaces.
After five minutes’ wading, the stream gets wider again, and the roar of a waterfall fills the air.
Eventually, you’ll find yourself sitting under a cascade of bath-like water surrounded by native bush, as the sunlight plays with the steam rising from the river. The beauty is mesmerising.
Ideal for: Those who love wild hot springs and don’t mind tight spaces.
Price: $189.
Monster 4X4 Thrill Ride
Combine a Jeep, Holden and Toyota Landcruiser into one giant offroader and you have Rotorua’s version of a monster truck. It’s a thrill ride with a professional driver, who will take you on a rollercoaster dirt track down near-vertical drops, over jumps, through bush mazes and on obstacles like The Widow Maker and the Roll Me Over.
The jeep is steered by a four-wheel-drive system, meaning that alongside the front wheels, the driver is also changing direction with the rear wheels, using a specially designed handle.
If 15 hair-raising minutes tearing around the track isn’t enough, you can even have a go yourself, on a separate ‘‘4WD Bush Safari’’.
During the 45-minute course, you’ll steer a Suzuki Jimny down obstacles such as the The Luge, an 80-degree drop down a six-metre face. You will have a guide to give you instructions on how to get through each obstacle, though.
Ideal for: Anyone who loves off-road driving. Price: From $55.
Luge, Skyswing and Zoom Zipline
The luge is one of my all-time favourite New Zealand inventions. Most of us had a go as kids, but it’s just as fun to return as an adult. There is a track for everyone: from the slower, winding scenic route to the adrenaline-filled advanced run, which even comes with an unexpected jump.
To make a day of it, grab the combo pass, which also gives you a ride on the Skyswing and down a racing zipline.
The Skyswing is a little circular pod that you get strapped into, hoisted 50 metres in the air, then launched out over the hill towards Rotorua.
It’s high velocity: my partner let out a scream that was likely heard in Tauranga, while I let out a rather unusual groan that resembled a scene from
The Exorcist.
To finish the day, head down the Zoom Zipline, with two wires side-by-side, allowing you to race your friends and family. It’s a lot faster than the gondola ride up, reaching speeds of up to 80kmh. Ideal for: Families.
Price: Half-day combo pass is $149.