It’s the end of the year and you have some time off, and you decide to go travelling. After a quick skip over the Tasman you hop off the plane and are surrounded by snow peaked mountains and are in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Queenstown, New Zealand. Besides the beautiful landscapes, you are now left wondering, what exactly does Queenstown have to offer? Fortunately Queenstown has a host of activities for all ages so during your trip you will never be bored. If you are like me, and are a bit of an adrenaline junkie, you certainly won’t be disappointed. There are some of the worlds most adrenaline pumping activities that you can take part in, all while not busting the budget.
Why not begin with an unforgettable trip into 
Skippers Canyon for a white water rafting journey on Shotover River to get that adrenaline pumping? You will start your trip to the launch bay with a thirty-minute bus trip on some of the windiest and dangerous looking roads New Zealand has to offer. Once arriving, you will be greeted by your guides who will supply you with all the gear you will need as well as demonstrating the basic safety tips to ensure your survival. Once launched you will challenge your ability to stay on board as you tackle grade three to five rapids. But be warned, if you let your guard down you might find yourself in the vicious rapids. The entirety of this trip, including a hot shower and sauna, takes approximately five hours and will set you back $209.00 NZD per adult.
If you’re prepared for more thrills and excitement then the Shotover jet boat ride certainly will not disappoint. This unique, breathtaking white water experience will give you that adrenaline rush as soon as the accelerator hits the floor, shooting the jet along the Shotover River at speeds of up to 85k
ph and through crystal clear water as shallow as 10 cm. On this ride, you will narrowly miss boulders, skim over rocks and do exhilarating 360° spins. This adrenaline-charged experience will take approximately thirty minutes and will set you back $129 NZD per adult.
If that wasn’t enough why not try the Shotover Canyon Swing? This bungee swing is the world’s highest cliff jump and is 109m above the Shotover River on the edge of a cliff. In order to get to the jump site, you will be picked up from the town centre in Queenstown via 4WD and travel for fifteen minutes to the location. Once reaching the site, you will have the opportunity to choose between over 70 available jumps, including tandem jump styles, which is sure to satisfy any adrenaline junkie. After taking the leap of faith you will feel the acceleration after free falling for 60m past rocky cliff faces into the canyon at speeds of 150kph and down to the rapids below. Plunging towards the river you will be launched into a giant 200m swing towards the rock faces of the Shotover canyon. After several gigantic swings, you will slowly come to rest approximately 100m below the departure platform before being winched back up, thankful that you did it and your nerves didn’t get the better of you. This hard-core adrenaline junkie activity will take 2.5 hours and will set you back $215 with any extra jumps costing $35 per jump.
If you decide that all three options sound great, but you still want to keep that budget in tact, you are in luck. Combo packages can be purchased at any one of the numerous booking centres in Queenstown, or online. Packages for the raft, jet and bungee swing cost $510, a saving of $43 and include all transport arrangements for each activity, so you can seamlessly go from one activity, to another, all in the same day.
If, however, you are an extra thrifty traveller, further discounts can be found on the website Bookme.co.nz, with discounts of up to 99%. Dependent upon the discounts offered at the time you might be able to get the jet boat ride for $1, the whitewater rafting for $180 and the bungee swing for $80, a total saving of $292. It is important to get in fast as places are strictly limited.
Each activity does offer a picture service, but that can be quite expensive, however for those of you with go-pro cameras, each activity allows for you to attach your go-pro so that you can capture those adrenaline-pumping moments.
Laura Vollrath is a student at Avondale College, studying primary teaching. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, cooking and sewing. Her travel article, “Adrenaline on a budget in Queenstown” explores how it is possible to take part in New Zealand’s adrenaline pumping activities, while keeping that budget in tact.