Just that extra challenge and adrenaline rush
Extreme sports, which are threatened to a greater or lesser extent, give just that extra challenge and adrenaline rush. In New Zealand, thrillseekers can enjoy themselves. Our outdoor Top 10:
1. Fly by Wire
Strapped to a rocket, shave a cable along valley walls at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour. For six minutes, float freely like a bird off Kapiti Island, a rush full of spectacular cornering.
2. Skydiving
Embrace the excitement and enjoy the view as you first hurtle down freely and then dangling from a parachute. Do you choose the 'Southern Alps' of Wanaka,The Remarkables of Queenstown,the geysers and lakes of Lake Taupo or the 144 islets of Bay of Plenty?
3. Paragliding
The heart-stopping moment you are taken by the wind, the subsequent lift and the utter sense of freedom as you soar above valleys, ravines and forests; paragliding is perhaps the most beautiful way to incorporate the kaleidoscopic landscapes of New Zealand.
4. Heli rafting
Fly to remote river gorges in hidden valleys for sensational paddle adventures in New Zealand's wild waters. The Perth, Taipo, Waiau and Landsborough rivers on the West Coast are waiting to be conquered.
5. Jetboating
Feel the power of the water as you squirt past the thundering Hukawaterfalls of Lake Taupo at 80 km per hour, or spin 360 degrees on Shotover River.
6. Canyoning
Jump from waterfalls, slide off rocks, scramble, climb, jump and abseil; Search for the wildest possible adventures remote mountain locations around Auckland, Coromandel, Nelson, Canterbury and Wanaka.
7. Bungee jumping
Take the plunge from the original Kawarau Bungy site and feel the blood pumping through your veins during the 43-metre-high fall. Or jump from Auckland Harbour Bridge for a very different bungee style.
8. Micro light flight
Experience the sport of flying of a bygone era as you soar above New Zealand's stunning panoramas. Explore the landscapes of Tauranga, Auckland Central or the Nelson region buzzing like a dragonfly in the sky.
9. Zorben
In Rotorua, get buckled into a transparent plastic sphere and feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins as you roll down a hill at high speed.
10. 4WD Off-road driving
Brace yourself and hold tight on a heart-stopping off-road adventure in the wilderness of New Zealand's hinterland. Or fly out of the bend on the colossal sand dunes of the popular Ninety Mile Beach in Northland, where the word can't find you...