There are some nice deep, narrow canyons near Wanaka that are perfect for "canyoning", an activity that involves rappelling, sliding, jumping, and climbing down waterfalls from pool to pool through the steep canyon. This was great fun. The guide said he has done it in France too, but that the canyon here is more technical. They have other canyons too, that are more difficult than the one used for the most common trips.

Adventure caving is another popular activity. I found the caves in New Zealand very interesting, especially in the Waitomo region on the North Island. There are plenty of cave tours for those not afraid to crawl around through tight holes, or to get wet.

Plenty of white-water activities are avalailable. Rafting companies operate on both the North and South Island. I did a trip with one of these, Kaituna Cascades in Rotorua, which claims to run the biggest drop of any commercial outfitter, 23 feet high. Those who don't want to get too wet, and prefer to let a motor do the work, can try jetboating. Drivers run fast boats down narrow canyons, such as Shotover Canyon near Queenstown, buzzing rocks and spinning the boats for an exciting ride. For those who want to experience the rapids up close, there is whitewater sledging, where you wear a wetsuit and flippers and hold onto a small sledge. I didn't try that one.

Copyright Scott A. Yost, 1996. All rights reserved. Photographs copyright Scott A. Yost, 1996, except raft2.html (Kaituna Cascades, 1996) and canyon.html (Wanaka Adventure Center, 1995).