Shotover Canyon Swing

In a town known for adventure, action and adrenaline it’s hard for a company to come along and differentiate themselves from the norm.Shotover Canyon Swing manages to pull themselves away from conventional adventure tourism activities by creating an atmosphere which embraces fear and tackles it head on.

My experience with Shotover Canyon Swing started at their head office in the centre of Queenstown. The staff there were friendly, engaging and very professional. In such a heavily saturated adventure town you notice the little things that make all the difference. For me here at Canyon Swing it was the way they displayed my weight on my wrist. They rounded my weight to the nearest 10; then they drew a simple but totally random picture on the back of my hand. In the picture they hid a nine, indicating to the staff out at the jump site that my weight was closest to 90kg. For me it’s not a big deal but for

another customer who may be weight 

sensitive, the idea is genius.

After a short 15 minute drive out to the Shotover River we arrived at the Canyon Swing site. This is where the blood starts pumping and the fingers start tingling. With light friendly banter all the way from the bus ride out there, to harnessing up and finally when you’re peering over the edge, the staff at Shotover Canyon Swing know exactly how to keep you on your toes. 

With countless jump styles to choose from it’s hard to decide which one fits you best. Luckily they have come up with an ingenious solution to this problem, an underpants rating. Yes that’s right, an underpants rating. The underpants scale rates how scary and challenging a certain jump style may be. Ranging from a simple forward fall at one underpants to the more intense “Gimp boy goes to Hollywood” (hanging vertically upside down, facing the ground) at 5 underpants.

After much hesitation I finally decided on a jump style to suit me, a gainer. A gainer is a backflip whilst traveling forward, with my background in skiing I thought this would suit quite well! Nevertheless I was still pretty apprehensive when the time came to hurl myself into what seems like a never ending drop toward the river. However, with a couple quick steps I took the plunge, and what a plunge it was. With a free-fall of 60 metres and a swing arc of 200 metres, I can’t say I was surprised when the biggest rush of adrenaline pumped through my veins. The rush and experience far exceeded my expectation. I originally thought jumping straight down during a bungy jump would deliver a bigger thrill. To my surprise it was something about being pulled through the air at speed on the swing that changed this idea.

After your jump, Shotover Canyon Swing gives you the opportunity to purchase a DVD and photo pack. Normally this pack is quite pricey but luckily due to the experience I had with them being a famill visit they were generous enough to include this at no extra cost. Even with the price being relatively steep, I strongly encourage purchasing the pack as it will provide you with lasting memories of a wonderful and challenging experience.

The Shotover Canyon Swing was an amazing experience, one which I strongly recommend to all travellers passing through Queenstown. The product is a unique concept that holds its own against the reputation of larger companies in the area. The staff are positive and friendly, delivering an atmosphere for all to enjoy.

For more information and other experiences about Shotover Canyon Swing, make sure to check out both Sinchan and Daniel’s blogs.

AJ Hackett Ledge Bungy

Located high above Queenstown, the Skyline Gondola is home to a variety of exciting and challenging activities. The varying degree of action found up there caters to everyone. Ranging from soft activities like the Kiwi Haka performance to slightly mild adrenaline pumping activities like the Skyline Luge and finally the pinnacle, the most adventurous activity up there, the AJ Hackett Ledge Bungy.

Being the adrenaline seeking junkie that I am, it should be no surprise to you that the Ledge Bungy is what I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time. For the longest while, I’ve been very nervous about hurling myself off a bridge. Surprisingly, I was very calm the whole week leading up to my first bungy experience.

 

The AJ Hackett name is synonymous with bungy jumping all over the world. Although it’s not the first, or the largest, the AJ Hackett Ledge Bungy is a unique experience on its own. Of the three different AJ Hackett Bungy sites in Queenstown, the Ledge is the only one in which you are harnessed in by your waist and not your feet. Branded the “freestyle bungy”, this gives you the freedom to pretty much jump off the platform any way you choose.  In addition it’s the only bungy in Queenstown that gives you the opportunity to jump by moonlight.

The staff out at the Ledge site were very friendly and professional in their conduct. They strive to make you feel welcome and get you very excited about the huge leap you are about to make. It’s calming and reassuring to hear that they have all jumped multiple times. Talking to one of the jump masters I found that he has jumped almost 80 times collectively at all 3 jump sites in Queenstown. Unlike at the Canyon Swing, where they tease and torment you, the staff at AJ Hackett seem to be a lot more reassuring and are there to make your experience as enjoyable as possible.

Being my first bungy jump, I wanted to grasp the original bungy experience as best as I could. I had the opportunity to choose from a few different jump styles but opted for the traditional swan dive. After a short glance over the edge of the ledge, a short look at what awaited me down below and a short glimpse into exactly where I would be bouncing around in the near future; I took a running start and leapt into what felt like an eternity of free-fall. Never before have I felt my stomach reach my throat so quickly. While this may sound like an 

unpleasant feeling, it was very 

welcomed as the adrenaline began 

flowing through my brain.

The bungy jump is an iconic Kiwi invention and AJ Hackett is an iconic Kiwi company. With highly professional staff, an immaculate safety record and an experience not too be missed, AJ Hackett’s Ledge Bungy is a must do on the list of all who visit Queenstown.

For a different experience and look at the Ledge Bungy, be sure to check out Sinchan and Daniel’s blogs.

Waiatoto River Safaris

Waiatoto River Safaris is located in Hannah's Clearing, just 15 minutes down the road from Haast. The quaint little town of Hannah's Clearing was originally established to house workers at the nearby Carter's sawmill. The mill is now closed but many of the old mill buildings still exist. There isn't much going on in this remote kiwi town but Waiatoto River Safaris does its part in ramping up the excitement.

Hannah's Clearing

Upon arrival to Hannah's Clearing, we were greeted by John Duberly, the owner of Hannah's Homestead and Waiatoto River Safaris. John is a South African ex-pat with great enthusiasm for New Zealand and specifically the West Coast. With the weather closing in and daylight soon to escape us, we had no time to waste. We quickly geared up and headed down the road to the Waiatoto river.




The ride is about an hour long round trip up the Waiatoto. Not deterred by the weather we launched the boat and started our trip. John is a walking encyclopaedia of information for the area and his knowledge of the local flora and fauna is infectious. The first half of the journey is fairly tame, but the views are more than enough to keep you occupied! The banks of the river are lined with temperate rainforest and mountains capped with snow; waterfalls cascade out of the hills due to snow melt above. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures, torrential rain and even hail we pushed further up the river.

Rapid section of Waiatoto River

 The second half of the trip is where things start to get interesting. After a short break and an opportunity to learn more about the local ecosystem, John pointed to some seemingly impassable rapids. Yet somehow he was able to  manoeuvre the boat further up the river. Eventually we reached a section of the river that was impenetrable and after another nature lesson we were heading back downstream.




 After blasting our way back downstream we swapped out for another group of thrill seekers. We headed back to Hannah's Homestead which is John's accommodation option. I didn't expect much from a small 2 bedroom motel in Hannah's Clearing but was pleasantly surprised. John as a host offers exceptional service, always looking to make sure you're comfortable. If you do plan on staying with John, make sure you let him know what you are interested in prior to your arrival. He will go out of his way to offer some suggestions about local activities to suit.

Hannahs Clearing to Waiatoto River

Meals aren't provided when you stay but if you're lucky, you might just get John cooking for you one night. Tonight was a special treat, not only was he cooking for us but also giving us a lesson in cooking for a group. A delicious four course meal was set out, starting with an easy but certainly not basic vegetarian soup. This was followed by a delicious pan seared salmon and rich butter sauce. For main, beautiful Angus beef and caramelised "banana split" for dessert.



After dinner, giving us a chance to digest the wonderful meal, we discussed with John the future of his business and tourism on the West Coast. He is very passionate about the West Coast and wants to attract as many tourists to his slice of heaven as he can. His thoughts on opening a road between Milford Sound and Jackson Bay were very interesting if not a little controversial.


Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my West Coast experience in Hannahs Clearing. Everything from the Waiatoto River Safaris jet boat trip to Johns wonderful and welcoming hospitality. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful part of New Zealand, and if you do, be sure to check in at Hannahs Homestead and Waiatoto River Safaris. Be sure to check out both Daniel and Regan's blogs for their experiences with John at Waiatoto River Safaris and Hannahs Homestead motel.