Skydiving
When it comes to getting your adrenalin going, free-falling out of a plane at speeds of 120mph will do the job every time. Yep, hurtling towards the earth at trouser-filling speed is hard to beat.
Although it’s actually not as butt-clenchingly scary as you might think. If you go tandem, which is a heck of a lot easier as there’s no training involved so you can just turn up and jump, you are strapped to a seasoned pro who will do the hard bits for you. They will waddle you over to the door, then you put your head back on their shoulder (so you won’t fling your head back and knock them out, but it also means you can’t look down) and, most importantly, jump – oh, and take care of that other important bit, the parachute. After 30-or-so seconds of freefall, the ’chute comes up and you glide down slowly and safely. Woop!
There is a catch. It costs lots of money. You can however grab a bargain: Wollongong is about an hour’s drive from Sydney and there you’ll find Skydive the Beach (skydivethebeach.com.au). Its Wicked Wednesday special allows you to tandem jump from $259. Staying in NSW, Skydive Byron Bay (skydivebryonbay.com) offers Australia’s highest tandem jump at 14,000ft. The online price is just $254.
If you fancy something really special, how about seeing the Great Barrier Reef from a completely different angle? Yep, with Jump the Beach (skydivemissionbeach.com.au) you can (they’re part of Skydive Australia along with Skydive Bryon Bay, Skydive Brisbane, Skydive Cairns and Skydive North Coast). It offers awesome views of Mission Beach and the Great Barrier Reef from $369. If you’re at the Gold Coast, go for Gold Coast Skydiving (goldcoastskydive.com.au). Prices start from $345. Enjoy!
Bungee Jump
You might think it’s crazy, but when you’ve done your first bungee you’ll be back for more, guaranteed.
There are hundreds of places you can do it but, for us, SkyJump at Sky Tower in Auckland takes some beating – you’ll plummet 192m off the city’s standout landmark at 85km an hour. You can also do the SkyWalk for double the adrenalin fix (and they have a 2 for1 offer on ‘til Sept 30).
Diving with sharks
If falling through the sky isn’t for you, why not try swimming with Jaws in the waters of the Eyre Peninsula? It’s an adrenaline rush like no other when you come eye to beady eye with these incredible man-eaters.
Rodney Fox, a great white attack survivor (don’t be put off), runs cage diving expeditions off Port Lincoln and the four-day, three-night tours will get you closer than ever to these beasts.
Zip-lining
For this one, head to Waiheke Island, the jewel in the crown of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.
EcoZip is one of the island’s must-dos. It’s a chance to get acquainted with New Zealand’s native bush, if you will, while hurtling above a forest canopy. EcoZip has two state-of-the-art flying fox ziplines and a forest walk. You can see the whole of Auckland from up there! Well, nearly.
Joy Flights
You could go for a flight in a vintage biplane, but if you want something a bit more extreme, how about a jet?
If you’ve ever harboured dreams of copying Maverick or Iceman (‘Talk to me Goose’) then Jetfighter is right up your alley. You’ll become a Top Gun pilot for a day and there are a number of exciting high-speed missions to choose from. It does cost, but then being Tom Cruise always does. Price: $1,200.
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Paragliding
We once saw a 68-year-old granny paragliding – you don’t get more extreme than that do you? And if she can do it, so can you, right?
Head down to the Sunshine Coast and Rainbow Paragliding to get a bird’s eye view of one of the world’s best beaches on a tandem flight with a nice chap called Jean Luc. Rainbow Beach is famous for its safe launch and landing, its smooth and laminir airflow and spectacular views of the colour sands and pristine clear sea. It’s the perfect site for your first adventure of flying.
White water rafting
When it comes to white water rafting you simply have to go to Tasmania and the Franklin River because it is by far the best white water rafting destination you’ll find. Rapidly fluctuating water levels, unpredictable weather and demanding portages make this a hell of a challenge – it’ll definitely get your pulse racing. You’ll also get to take in some amazing wilderness, superb rapids, deep gorges and awesome scenery. Tasmanian Expeditions runs some of the best trips, most of which take between five and 10 days.
Rock climbing
Remember the scene from Mission: Impossible II with Tom Cruise solo climbing up Dead Horse point in Utah? Well, while nobody actually climbs like that, it made rock climbing an adrenaline junkie must-do pastime.
The Grampians is a great place to go if you fancy a bit of a climb with its rugged cliffs. There are several adventure specialists in Halls Gap.
Wakeboarding
In Sydney, make your way to Cables Wake Park where, on two man-made lakes, you can jump on a wakeboard and get dragged around on a motorised ski lift-like circuit.
All abilities and ages are welcome at this Penrith attraction which has coaches that’ll get beginners up on the water and offer thrills for the more experienced. All equipment is included in the price.
Mountain biking
You’ll probably know that Thredbo is a popular ski destination but you might not be aware that it’s also a mecca for mountain biking, with a range of trails from easy-riding for casual riders to gnarly terrain for the downhill dynamos.
You can hire a bike and all the gear you need from RawNRG, which also runs a few guided tours, including the Cannonball Run.
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