A trip to NZ is not complete without attaching a stretchy cord to your feet and jumping off something high, and Queenstown is the daddy. The 138m high A J Hackett Nevis Highwire Bungee, gives you a massive 8.5 seconds of free fall. If this doesn't sound like much to you, just try counting it out and imagine yourself falling at high-speed out of a cable car precariously suspended above a large ravine. If you can't stomach the Nevis, then there are two other locations where the fall is slightly more manageable: the 43m Kawarau Bridge and the 47m Ledge Bungee, positioned 400m above Queenstown.

Sky Diving

Queenstown is overlooked by the dominating and awe-inspiring Remarkables mountain range and this makes the perfect backdrop for throwing yourself out of a plane at 15,000ft. What's more, it's also one of the cheapest places to skydive, so ideal if you are on a backpackers budget.

Shot-Over Jet

If you want something that is adrenaline pumping, but slightly less extreme, then try the Shot Over Jet on Lake Wakatipu. You'll twist, turn and do 360 degree spins through Shot Over Canyon at up to 85km per hour.

River boarding and white-water rafting

There are a couple of other fast-paced water activities that are also best done in Queenstown. River-boarding is white-water rafting without the raft? in fact you are on a body-board, meaning you take on the rapids head first. To be more specific, you'll hurtle your way down Kawarau River with nothing more than a helmet to protect you.

If you prefer to be in a boat, then opt for white-water rafting, just don't expect it to be any less thrilling, or even that you will spend all your time in the raft. You can hold on for dear life down the longest commercial rapid (400m) on the Kawarau River, or if you have the brave enough then you can ride the white water of Shotover River where in winter the rapids are a hefty grade five ? not for the feint-hearted.