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• Hotels in Queenstown

Activities

• Bungee Jumping
• Hiking (Tramping)
• Jet Boating

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Bungee Jumping

Bungee Jump © New Zealand Tourist Board

Undoubtedly the most prominent sport in Queenstown, bungee jumping takes place from four of the world's most scenic bungee sites. Visitors can choose to throw themselves off a bridge or a gondola, or there are milder options that include cable swinging or the Bungee Rocket that shoots people into the air while strapped into a cage-like device on the end of a bungee cord. The first commercial bungee jump site in the world is on the historic Kawarau Suspension Bridge, situated 137 feet (43m) above the river, with viewing platforms for spectators. The urban option is Hackett's Ledge, situated at the top of the gondola, and it is open even at night. The second highest is the Pipeline Bungee, operating from a suspension bridge across Skippers Canyon on the site of the 1864 gold-sluicing pipeline. The engineering masterpiece is the highest bungee jump, and the world's first gondola jump, a pod suspended terrifyingly 440 feet (134m) above the riverbed, spanning a remote gorge. A glass-bottomed cable car takes the jumpers out to the gondola.

Hiking (Tramping)

Hiking in Queenstown © Matt Murf

The area around Queenstown offers some excellent hiking, known locally as tramping. Some of the country's excellent multi-day hiking trails start from nearby, including the spectacular Routebourne Track, one of the best in the country for its variety of countryside and scenery. The Rees-Dart Track is a rugged circular track, and the Greenstone Caples Track is a less challenging option. All the tramps have well maintained paths and comfortable mountain hut accommodation.

Jet Boating

Huka Jetboat, Wairakei, Central North Island © New Zealand Tourist Board

Hurtling up and down the churning rivers around Queenstown in jet boats is a very popular activity. The Shotover River surges through Skippers Canyon, the narrowest and deepest section and trips include heart stopping 360-degree spins, last minute turns away from the canyon edges and high speed boating on either the Shotover or the Kawarau Rivers. It is an exhilarating experience that continues to draw the crowds.