AJ Hackett Ledge Bungy

The AJ Hackett Ledge bungy is a very unique product to sell; not only due to its intangible nature but also the fact that it is the only bungy that will offer you amazing panoramic views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.

However for this product this is not the only bonus you get for partaking in this bungy, you also get to jump off however you like. It can be flipping, doing a handstand or just doing the original swan dive. You even have the option to the jump in the light of day or even at night, making it very unique compared to other bungys.

The jump will cost $180, but for those of you who just can’t bring yourself to leap off a cliff there is the option of doing a swing where you are hanging over the edge and all you need to do is pull the pin holding you up to swing away. This option is slightly cheaper at $150. If you would like to find out more information about the Ledge bungy or Ledge swing or if you are interested in making a booking please visit their website here, Ledge bungy.

There are two main ways of transport to reach the Ledge bungy site. You can either walk up the Skyline Gondola track or you can pay for a Gondola ride. Personally I would prefer taking the Gondola as it gets you to the top much faster and is a lot easier. However for the more money conscious there is the option of walking. The track is reasonably steep but is manageable for anyone who is not physically injured or physically incapable. The Skyline Gondola on the other hand requires no fitness and most people can get on it. The prices for the Gondola are $26 for an adult $15 for a child and $74 for a family.

However if you were looking to a little more than a bungy while up there you can also buy package deals with a set number of luge rides. To find out any other information about further pricing or how to find their gondola site in Queenstown, please visit their website here, Skyline Gondola Queenstown.

My experience with Ledge bungy was one I will never forget. Prior to this jump I had done two bungys before; I had done the Taupo and Kawarau bungy. However this jump stood out to me as an experience I will never forget.

The staff were very friendly however instead of letting us jump in whatever order we liked which would have been nice we had to jump in weight order so that they could get us through as fast as possible. This made me feel like I was being herded and also gave me the impression that the staff didn’t want to be there. On the upper hand though when I was preparing to jump the staff asked if I would like to have the song that was playing in the jump hut changed to something more preferable. This made it seem like they were willing to do what it takes to make my experience with their company one of a kind.

The jump style I opted for was a gainer. This is a back flip while moving forwards and an example of this can be seen in my attached photo to the right. Jumping off the platform into the darkness was an experience like no other. I had no idea where I was going or where I was going to end up. All I could see was the lights of Queenstown glowing down the bottom of the hill. This added to my experience as it is an unbelievable view from the jump platform.

Once I had finished my jump I got given a free t-shirt as proof that I had done the bungy and got offered the option to buy a photo and video pack. Over all I found my experience with AJ Hackett Ledge bungy to be a positive one with the only negative point being the fact that I felt like as a group we were being herded through as fast as possible, making it seem like the staff did not want to be there.

This is an activity I would recommend to do while in Queenstown if you have the spare cash for it as it is very expensive. However if you’re looking at doing something a little more extreme there is the option of doing the Nevis Bungy with AJ Hackett as this is the highest bungy in the southern hemisphere being 134 metres high. This extra height and remote location does come at a cost however costing $260. If you require any further information about the Nevis bungy and Nevis swing please visit their website here Nevis bungy.

Please view my classmate Melissa's blog to hear about her experience with this company too. Or alternatively my other classmates Stephen and Corneille's experiences too.

Deep Canyon Wanaka

Deep Canyon Wanaka is a very unique and different business as the experience it is selling is very difficult to advertise and as it takes some technique or ability so it cannot be marketed to every tourist that visits New Zealand. Deep Canyon Wanaka have a variety of trips that you can choose from, these include the Niger Stream trip and many others that you can read about on their website here Deep Canyon.

The trip starts outside the Deep Canyon offices in Wanaka located at 103 Ardmore Street where you are greeted by your guides. The guides will then drive you out to the location of your canyoning dependant on which trip you have chosen. Once on site you will be fitted with the appropriate equipment in order to ensure you stay warm whilst on the trip.

During your trip you will use a variety of ways to descend through the canyon including jumping, sliding and of course abseiling. One thing not mentioned on the website is the walk up to the top of the canyon. This can be quite difficult for those with an injury as on a wet day the track can be quite slippery a difficult to climb. However it is not impossible and your guides should be willing to help at any difficult points.

Lunch and hot drinks are also provided at the end of your adventure and is a nice added bonus to warm you up and refuel at the conclusion of your trip. It’s also a nice time to get to know your guides afterwards as you can socialise with them and ask them any questions you have about the trip and the area as they are very familiar with where they are.

The Niger Stream trip costs $240 per person and is well worth the money as it is a day of experiences and pushing yourself to the limits. It is unlike many other products as it was the first of its kind in New Zealand, what makes this product different to many other tourism products in its price range is that you are paying for a whole days activities instead of paying a slightly cheaper price for one activity that will last an hour at the longest.

My experience with Deep Canyon Wanaka was slightly different as it did not begin outside their offices in Wanaka. It started at Snow Farm lodge for a class trip. This just meant that there was a longer drive out to the location of the canyon which was no problem. We were collected at 8.45 by the owner and founder of the company Dave; with no time wasted we were inside the company van and heading down the Cardrona valley towards Wanaka.

The trip we were taking part in was the Niger Stream trip. Once arriving in Wanaka we had a short wait for our second guide Holly to show up who greeted us with a very enthusiastic attitude once she had arrived. The drive to the canyon seemed to be an adventure itself with points where we had to come to a stop due to cows covering the road and big bumps and drops going on and off of bridges.

Once we arrived at the site Holly started to hand out our equipment for the day while we searched through a pile of old shoes to use so that we wouldn’t ruin our own.  After about 15-20 minutes of gearing up we began our ascent to the top of the canyon so that we could begin our adventure. The track is in reasonable condition and is fairly easy to make it up when you are physically capable with no injuries.

At the start of the canyoning we had a short 10 minute safety briefing and snack to keep our energy levels up. Part of the safety briefing was a practise rope to practise abseiling on so that you were confident in your abilities before tackling a large first abseil immediately. This is followed up by an awesome slide making this product unlike no others as when can you say you did a near vertical 8 metre slide into a rock pool! Afterwards we carried on through the                    canyon with a few smaller slides and larger abseils down waterfalls.

Holly and Dave knew exactly what to do to keep us entertained while we waited for the rest of our group to catch up having us try small things that isn’t advertised as a part of the product. At the halfway point we were refuelled again with more snacks and a hot cup of tea to                  keep energy levels and warmth up once more.

This trip continued to surprise as we started to do some slides face first instead of feet first. Dave and Holly were both magnificent guides and you can see the passion they put into their job as it makes it a much more enjoyable atmosphere. I guess the fact that you’re working in a playground that anyone would enjoy does help make it easy to be enthusiastic but that is beside the point as they know what they’re doing and they know exactly what to do to make the trip amazing!

The conclusion of the trip was very exciting with a big 10 metre jump into a rock pool which you can repeat and do as many times as you’d like within reason. This last jump is also optional as it is on the way to the zip line to make your way out of the canyon and back down the hill. The zip line is a great extra to finish the trip however I didn’t find it quite as exciting as the rest of the activities that we got to do while on the trip. For the last and most difficult part we had to walk back down a slippery track which we seemed to find harder than the canyoning itself with most of us slipping over at least once which was a great laugh.

A great way to round off the trip was the lunch provided, sandwiches made how you like them as you make them yourself so that you don’t get anything you don’t want and a nice hot drink of your choice. Overall this trip exceeded my expectations and was well worth it, it is a trip I would recommend to anyone with a spare day up their sleeve.

Please view my classmate Corneille’s blog to hear about his Deep Canyon experience or alternately my other classmates Stephen or Melissa.

Fox Glacier Guiding

Out on the wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island is where you will find hidden gems of natural beauty like the Fox Glacier. Nestled right by the coast in amongst rainforests and mountains you can find the glacier, just a 3 minute drive south from the Fox Glacier town. It is free to view however I would highly recommend booking a tour with Fox Glacier Guiding. This company is the only company running commercial tours that allow you to walk up on to Fox Glacier offering an experience like no other.

There are a couple of different methods of transport for reaching the glacier, you can either bus or drive yourself there. There are a few different bus companies who run trips to and from Fox Glacier at certain times like Intercity Coachlines where you can book with them here (http://www.intercity.co.nz/travel-info/timetable//lookup/FGL),  and Great Sights New Zealand at http://www.greatsights.co.nz/sightseeing-destinations/west-coast/queenstown-to-fox-glacier these will cost roughly between $60 and $120 depending on what options you choose. They will also take on average 6 hours to reach the glacier from Queenstown. If you choose to drive however the cost will vary depending on which car rental company you use. The drive is significantly shorter than the bus trip lasting on average between 4 and a half hours to 5 hours depending on how many breaks and rest stops are taken. I would suggest the rental car option as it allows you to go and explore all the other beautiful places New Zealand has to offer and you also have the option to leave when you’re ready.

http://www.uniquelodges.co.nz/teweheka/images/map.jpg

There are many different trips that are on offer to help cater for anyone. The trip that I took part in was the half day, “Fox Trot”. On average this trip will cost $115 NZD for an adult and $95 NZD for a child with a minimum age requirement of 7. This is the trip I would recommend for families as you can get discounted family rates at $325 NZD which covers two adults and two children. This trip is roughly three and a half to four hours long with about an hour spent on the ice. All the necessary equipment is provided although I would suggest taking your own raincoat for comfort if you have one, especially as the weather can be very unpredictable and can change without warning. 

The guides are friendly and have a great attitude towards their customers. They also know a lot of facts and have plenty of information about the glaciers so everyone has a chance to learn something new. They also have all the necessary tricks up their sleeves to entertain the most fidgety of children. 

However, there are many different trips to choose from if a glacier walk doesn’t sound appealing to your adventurous side. There is also a full day option called the “Nimble Fox” this costs $165 NZD per adult and has a minimum age requirement of 13. If you’re looking for something more exclusive there’s the “Flying Fox” which includes a helicopter flight up the glacier, a glacier walk and then is finished up with the flight back down. This trip costs $400 NZD per person and has a minimum age of 9. There are a few other more adventurous options which you can explore yourself on their website http://www.foxguides.co.nz/our-trips. Just like with the “Fox Trot” all the important equipment is provided for you as well as instructions on how to use it and how to wear it. Overall I would say that the trip is thoroughly enjoyable and a once in a lifetime opportunity as Fox glacier is constantly changing and will never be the same. Personally I suggest taking a camera as there are plenty of opportunities to take photos of your beautiful surroundings.

One last thing you should check before heading off on your trip is the weather. The weather on the west coast is very unpredictable and can change very suddenly, a website you can check before heading off on your glacial adventure is http://www.accuweather.com/en/nz/fox-glacier/251122/weather-forecast/251122. 

Please click here to view my classmate Melissa's blog, and my other classmate Stephen's blog here.

First Blog

First blog coming up in a couple days time after a visit to Fox and Franz-Josef Glaciers on the west coast of New Zealands south island.