While not recommended if you're afraid of heights, parasailing is peaceful enough for the whole family to try. Photo / Getty Images
Some family gatherings call for action and adventure. Keeping up with spirited teens can be tricky, but there's a lot to be gained from stepping outside of your comfort zone, writes Alexia Santamaria
I'm not a naturally brave person. Raised in an indoorsy Indian family, adventures were more about finding new places to picnic and stroll rather than abseil or kayak. While none of this particularly bothered me growing up, it did cause some minor anxiety when I ended up in the business of travel writing, especially family travel.
With two gung-ho teen boys, I often find myself doing things well outside my comfort zone - kitted out in harnesses, wetsuits, helmets, protective jackets or other deeply unfashionable attire, flinging myself blindly into the unknown. This wasn't really part of the plan.
But it turns out it's kind of great. Rather than sitting on the sidelines of life, I'm showing my boys that their mum can do exactly what they do - albeit slightly slower. And it's been so beneficial for my confidence too. As adults we often restrict ourselves, keeping to what we know and not extending to experiences that may involve any degree of fear. But I'd really encourage any scaredy-cat parent like me to get a bit braver and engage in something more daring with your kids. You might feel a little battered the next day but the huge sense of pride at your own achievement - and the family memories you'll have created -will be well worth it for the price of a slightly creaky back.
Here are some activities I've personally road-tested so you can get the real scoop behind the smiling pictures of pretty people in the brochures (images of folk freaking out don't sell so well). I'd highly recommend any of them to anyone wanting to get out there and show their kids what they're made of - and have a little fun along the way.
Never ridden a jet ski before? Don't fret. Lenny Naera is incredibly gentle with first-timers who look nervous (I didn't even have to say anything, it was clearly written all over my face). He will guide you through how to zip across the breathtaking Hokianga Harbour like a pro. Awesome Adventures Hokianga jet ski tours provide a truly unique experience and can be customised for your group or family's needs. Lenny will introduce you to the Māori and European history of the area and has several options for different types of adventures, from foraging for mussels to sandboarding and kneeboarding to just cruising around and exploring this very special part of the country. He and his wife, Antoinette, also have accommodation packages where you can stay with them and have the true Far North experience and hospitality.
aah.nz
How do New Zealanders come up with these bizarre ways of getting an adrenaline hit? Rolling down the hill in an inflatable ball is quite hard to get your head around until you do it, but is much more fun and less vertebrae-rearranging than it sounds. It's the perfect mix of getting your heart rate up without actually inducing any terror, and once you've done one ride you'll be ready to go again - it's kind of like a moving water slide. There's even a spa at the top of the hill to keep you toasty while you wait for the next ball.
zorb.com
Okay, this one is not for the faint-hearted, and I have to admit to feeling really quite terrified as I stood in the middle of the Kawarau Bridge, the site of the original AJ Hackett Bungy, before plunging off into the abyss. While my 12-year-old leapt off like he was jumping off our sofa (actually asked if he could go backwards!) I was far more apprehensive. The guides are amazing and clearly used to nervy jumpers; they are reassuringly firm and somehow make you feel like you truly have nothing to worry about, despite standing on a 43m-high bridge with only a cord attached to your legs. And the truth is you don't have anything to worry about - once you've taken that step it's pretty exhilarating and before you know it the lovely people on the boat below are pulling you in, your heart racing and face smiling. I can't speak for other sites but the view down the river is truly stunning and it's a great location to pop your bungy cherry.
bungy.co.nz/queenstown/kawarau-bungy-centre
Having conquered my original fears of ziplining on other stories (I would highly recommend Rotorua Canopy Tours or Christchurch Adventure Park for families) I was still pretty nervous about the thought of doing it underground with Waitomo Adventures Lost World Half Day trip. I mean, it's dark and in a cave! Surveyors discovered the entrance to this amazing site in 1906 and were gobsmacked to find they were looking down at the tops of trees, rather than the usual lichen and mosses. It's really quite glorious – parts are backlit, rather than the usual blackness - and filled with swirling mist, lush green foliage and clear flowing water. Unfortunately, the beauty wasn't quite enough to calm my nerves at stepping off the underground platform to zip down a line that had stalactites hanging far too close for my liking. Of course, they are actually nowhere near you when you're whizzing down, and after that first platform, it's all far easier as you understand the sensation better. There's a bit of walking around some narrow ridges with some vaguely vertigo-inducing drops but it's still an amazing experience I'd do again in a heartbeat. Of course, my boys loved it and breezed through without any sign of jitters. Sigh.
waitomo.co.nz/adventures
Usually jet sprint boats are for racers, but if you chuck a couple of seats in the back, passengers can experience the thrill of going from 0 to 100km/h in only 2.5 seconds too. And this is exactly what the innovative team at Oxbow have done, creating the world's first four-seater jet sprint boats. It's a lot of fun and more of a thrill than anything crazily scary. Once your heart rate is back to normal, the off-roader experience on the same site is highly recommended too. This custom-built four-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steer off-roaders will literally go anywhere. I found myself thinking more than once "surely we're not going to go up/down/across that" seconds before we did just that. Thank goodness you're strapped in pretty tight as you'll definitely find yourself at some gravity-defying angles. Lots of fun.
oxbow.co.nz
The concept is roughly the same anywhere you do it in New Zealand. You stand on a boat with a harness attached to a rope and suddenly, and really quite gently, you find yourself high in the sky hooked on to a kind of parachute, taking in the view as the boat tows you along. This one is easy and really enjoyable, as long as you don't have a fear of heights. As close as you may get to feeling like you're flying. Magical, and almost meditative, on a sunny day.
Not being a super strong swimmer, it took everything I had to sign up for white-water rafting with my family on the Tongariro River. The safety briefing at Rafting New Zealand did not help - what do you mean "if the raft flips"? But I am so glad we did this one as the scenery was truly magnificent and the vantage point from the river gives you movie set-like views, impossible from above. It's all towering cliffs dripping with lush green dewy foliage and crystal-clear water rushing over large smooth rocks - very Lord of the Rings. The instructions sound complicated at the briefing but make total sense once you're in the boat (the guides are incredible), and it's another one of those activities that strikes that perfect balance of enough adrenaline to make you know you're alive, but not so much as to scare the pants off you. I highly recommend jumping off the rock into the river if the weather is right. It's exhilarating and a lovely cool down.
raftingnewzealand.com
This is one my boys definitely enjoyed more than me. It's all about the thrills and turns and speed as you cruise the Aratiatia Dam Rapids and it definitely throws you around a bit. Great for anyone looking for a good shot of adrenaline. You'll whizz through the narrow canyon on clear waters, ride the spa pool-blue Nga Awa Purua Rapids and will hold on tight for the spins (you do get warning, don't worry). Prepare to get a little wet - depending on where you sit - and have a lot of fun. The drivers are crazily skilled at navigating the rapids and in the calm moments will impart all kinds of interesting facts on the history and geology of the area. A great way to get on the water in Taupō.
rapidsjet.com
So I say get out there and do it. Have a bit of adventure fun with your family, even if you're a teensy bit nervous. You can't underestimate how good you'll feel about yourself afterwards, and you might even win a bit of street cred with your kids. Maybe.
For more travel inspiration, go to newzealand.com/nz.
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