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One of our favorite locations in New Zealand (South Island) was Queenstown. Queenstown’s setting on the shores of Lake Wakatipu is stunning, with the unique blue waters of the lake (it’s known for it’s specific shade of blue) and the surrounding mountains.
One of the things we knew we wanted to do while in Queenstown was to take the Skyline Gondola up to Bob’s Peak right at the edge of town.
While admiring the views from the peak we noticed paragliders sailing past our viewpoint. We thought “that looks fun!” and decided to check it out.
There was a desk inside the gondola building at the top of the peak and they gave us the information on the tandem paragliding rides, and we were lucky that they had availability within the next hour. Three of our group decided to go (including my 86 year-old mother-in-law!). What a blast this 10+ minute ride was! You could feel the wind currents take you up higher in altitude and swing you around. The guides/pilots were terrific and managed to take some great photos and video while gliding us over the town and eventually down to the landing spot.
How much does it cost? Paragliding wasn’t cheap, it was about $375 US per person including a set of videos and photos that the company provided (highly recommended). There are weight and mobility requirements to be aware of (but hey, if my 86 year-old mother-in-law can do it, so can you). This was an experience I won’t soon forget – ‘an adventure of a lifetime’ in my book.
In addition to paragliding, there are a ton of other outdoor adventures awaiting you in this breathtaking corner of New Zealand.
Speaking of outdoor adventures, fourteen miles west of Queenstown is Kawarau Bridge, spanning the Kawarau River, which is the site of the world’s first commercial bungy jumping experience. It is a very beautiful setting and still an active bungy jumping site. We debated jumping, but in the end decided not to. Even if you’re not into jumping, it’s fun to visit and watch others jump. There is a nice facility on location with a coffee shop, restrooms and a zip line by the river if you’d rather do that instead.
Queenstown itself is worth exploring on foot too. The downtown is very enjoyable with beautiful parks, lakefront restaurants, and shops. If you have a car, you can take several beautiful drives around the lake and to other nearby destinations – we had a very enjoyable three days in the area.
If you find yourself in New Zealand, be sure to visit the incredible South Island and Queenstown!
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I really enjoyed reading this—thank you for sharing such valuable content.
Wow, Queenstown really is next-level stunning 😍 The gondola views alone are amazing, but paragliding over the lake and mountains, what an experience! And major respect to your 86-year-old mother-in-law, that’s incredible. Such a fun, adventurous read!