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NEW ZEALAND offers an unlimited selection of quality tourist attractions, activities and adventure for a fun filled holiday.
Below are some of the most exciting and crazy ways to get your heart racing on land. From abseiling and rappelling to cycling or caving - these attractions and activities will be sure to get your blood pumping.
Abseiling/Rappelling
Controlled descent is an enthralling way to interact with the landscape. And the great thing about abseiling, also called rappelling, is that it's quite easy to learn. After a few lessons, you'll be slipping down the rope like a master.
In some cases, abseiling is a mode of transport - a way to reach an unknown world. This is certainly the scenario in Waitomo, where it's necessary to drop 100 metres down a huge tomo (hole) in the earth to reach the Lost World.
Other adventures are focused on the trip down, like abseiling waterfalls in Egmont National Park or descending the rungway on Queenstown Hill.
The skilled guides and instructors who operate abseiling experiences know all about easing people out of their comfort zone, so that you get an amazing sense of accomplishment.
Check out the abseiling opportunities around the country. There's sure to be just the kind of adventure you're looking for.
Climbing
For the world's mountaineers, New Zealand is well and truly on the map. Our Southern Alps were Sir Edmund Hillary's training ground for his historic Everest climb in 1953. With 30 peaks taller than 3000 metres, and Aoraki/Mount Cook scraping the sky at 3753 metres, there's no shortage of challenging summits to conquer.
However, most travellers don't come to New Zealand with a suitcase full of crampons, carabineers and ice picks. That doesn't mean mountaineering is out of the question. If you've always wanted to join an expedition and knock off a summit or two, or complete a mountain trek like the Ball Pass, experienced climbing instructors and guides are ready to help.
Rock climbing is another way to embrace New Zealand's geology in an up-close-and-personal way. There are crags, boulders and cliff faces to ascend in Wanaka, Taranaki, Canterbury and Wellington. Various indoor rock climbing venues provide a chance to practice your technique.
Spelunkers (cavers) say that New Zealand has some of the most challenging and spectacular caving systems in the world. But you don't have to be a seasoned spelunker to enjoy our underground scenery. Depending on your level of daring, a caving experience could be anything from a dreamy drift through a glow-worm grotto to a rip-roaring, rope-dangling, action-packed subterranean adventure.
In the North Island the best known caving area is Waitomo in the Waikato region. There are caves that you can simply walk through; there are caves you can float through (this is called black water rafting); and there are caves that require abseiling, climbing and squeezing. Experienced operators here know how to turn you into a caver in a single day.
Orienteering
Orienteering enthusiasts enjoy the mental challenge of preparing and executing strategies, while exercising in scenic locations. Described as 'running while playing chess' or 'cunning running', this sport is suitable for all ages and athletic abilities.
If you find hiking a little too tame, and like the idea of using a map and a compass to locate as many markers as you can in the shortest possible time, then you need to give this sport a go. Orienteering can also be enjoyed on mountain bikes or skis.
New Zealand's challenging courses and beautiful scenery make orienteering a popular activity here, and our top teams compete internationally. There are permanent orienteering courses throughout the country - maps are available from local information centres.
Popular locations include Karamatura and Duder Regional Park in the Auckland region; the Whakarewarewa Forest Park in geothermal Rotorua; the Spa Thermal Park in Taupo; Waikanae Park north of Wellington; Rabbit Island and Botanics in Nelson; Victoria Park in Christchurch; and Ross Creek and Chingford Parks in Dunedin.
Caving
The South Island has several caving areas - you'll find guided underground adventures in Nelson, Fiordland and on the West Coast. Harwood's Hole, just off the main Motueka-Takaka road in the Nelson region, is the deepest sinkhole in the southern hemisphere. You can look into it, but be careful you don't fall in - it's 180 metres straight down.
When you come to New Zealand, chances are you're looking forward to getting close to nature and saturating your senses in our scenery.
Cycling
On two wheels you can cover a lot of ground and still see, hear and smell the natural world around you. With paddocks of sheep, acres of vines, rivers, mountains, lakes, the ocean, ancient forests, steaming sulphurous cauldrons and boiling pools of mud, there's always something happening just the other side of your sunglasses.
Whether you're cruising around a wine trail, exploring a coast road past beaches and seals or cross country cycling along a disused railway route, you can either plan it as you go or opt for a guided tour. Some tours will even carry your luggage or a non-cycling friend in their support vehicle.
New Zealanders' passion for mixing adrenalin with wilderness scenery means mountain biking trails are everywhere. The 42 Traverse in the Tongariro National Park is quietly becoming famous, and the relentless quest for the all-day downhill has seen a boom in alpine heli-biking.