A skydive is perceived as many things to a lot of people, terrifying, death defying, crazy but my experience with NZONE Skydive for my sky-dive literally blew this misconception out of the proverbial sky. I describe it as exhilarating, liberating and the most mind blowing fun I have ever had in my life.
I went through the emotional roller-coaster that got me to the ‘Drop Zone’, I threw my inhibitions to the wind and booked my jump, followed by the realization of the gravity of my undertaking in said task – literally, I find myself imagining the experience and contemplating the physics as my mind tries to rationalize the fear……my heart is already in my throat.
Now that I’m at NZONE Skydive’s ‘Drop Zone’ located at their airfield just out of Queenstown, watching the instructor demonstrate how to ‘exit the aircraft’ and all I can think is ” I hope I don’t stuff it up”. Thankfully I have a trained jump-master attached to me to remind me of every instruction. At 12,000 feet above Lake Wakatipu I feel the cool high altitude alpine air enter the cabin of the plane – the door is open and the moment of truth has arrived. I cannot even begin to describe what free fall is like……no wonder the birds sing, I’m having the time of my life with the most spectacular view of the world below. Now that I’m relaxed in this state I start to have a bit of fun with my free falling photo/video guy and start posing – superman style, sleeping style, two thumbs up and yahoo-ing as loud as I can.
The chute is pulled and we slow down quickly, my video guy disappears as he plummets to the earth still then pulls his chute. I yell with delight, I suddenly realize how quiet it is now that the air isn’t rushing past us and I quickly apologize to my jump master for my lack of volume control. We float towards the ground again in a series of spins and turns and the landing was much easier than I had originally thought.
So how do I feel now back on solid ground……? On cloud nine! If there is only one crazy thing you could do in your life, make it a sky-dive with NZONE Skydive, trust me, you won’t regret it!
Book your NZONE Skydive
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Wow, this ride is breath taking. Shotover Jet is world famous and it is easy to see why. You experience some amazing scenery as the jets zoom up and down the Shotover River Canyons. You also need to check your heart is still working during the trip, as the boat gets very close to the cliffs, which is usually followed by a scream or two. I felt completely safe the entire time though as the jet boat drivers seem to know the river like the back of their hands.
The company has been taking rides on the Shotover River since 1970 and are the only company permitted to ride through the Shotover River Canyon. The ride involves jumping into a bright red boat and traveling along the Shotover River and the Shotover Canyon, at times in water only 10cm deep. The whole experience seems to defy the laws of nature and is on the must do list to Queenstown. All of this is just 10 minutes from Queenstown at $119 per adult and $69 per child. You also have the option of purchasing photos and video of your experience so you can relive the experience all over again.
I would highly recommend this activity, possibly even going as far as rating it 9.5/10. I got a little bit wet on my ride which I know I should expect when you have a ride on water but I wasn’t in the mood for getting wet that day which prevents the perfect 10. Book your ride on Shotover Jet and find out why they are world famous.
Also check out our review on Kawarau Jet
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Get an ‘hour of power’ with Kawarau Jet, departing every hour on the hour from the Main Town Pier. From the crystal clear waters of Lake Wakatipu, through the tranquil beauty of the willow lined Kawarau River, and then through the fast moving braids of the Shotover River, the trip equates to a distance of 43km along some of Queenstown’s finest scenery. Once you return you get free entry into the Underwater Observatory beneath the Main Town Pier. This allows you to get a glimpse of the marine life that lives near the shore of the Queenstown Bay. There are some massive trout and eels here and a fish feeding machine that for $1, you can enjoy a fish feeding frenzy!
I found this ride to be good value for money. An hours jet boating starting and finishing in central Queenstown for under $100 is good value. It can at times be quite exciting as you travel at upto 85km per hour in what seems like on only a trickle of water at times – the jet boat can travel up a river that is only 10cm deep! The drivers know how to get your heart beating as they steer the boat excitingly close to the cliffs and beaches on the sides of the rivers and what I enjoyed the most is when the driver moves his hand in a circular motion in the air – this means a spin is about to happen so hold on tight, an adrenalin pumping 360 degrees spin. Its amazing the drivers haven’t gone deaf after enduring the screams that come from the passengers during this maneuver. Its easy to see why this company which pioneered the Jet Boat experience with the worlds first commercial jet boat operation has lasted more then 50 years, It ticks all the boxes.
I would recommend this trip, especially for the ‘young at heart’ and families with children as the kids get a real thrill out of the experience, great value for money. Kawarau Jet trips depart the Main Town Pier on the hour, every hour, every day. If you would like to book a ride or find out more about this trip visit Kawarau Jet Bookings
Also check out our review on Shotover Jet
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