NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Rotorua: Zipping through the Dansey Reserve canopy rope course

Eli Orzessek
By Eli Orzessek
Digital Producer - Travel·NZ Herald·
30 Jul, 2018 07:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Eli Orzessek takes to the trees in a Rotorua Forest and manages to hold on to both camera and stomach.

In woodlands outside Rotorua, the quiet stillness of the forest is punctuated by occasional screeches.

Sometimes, it's the unusual song of a native bird. But most of the time, the sound comes from a much larger flying object.

The distant screams come from a group taking on Rotorua Canopy Tour's original tour through the trees. I'm here for their latest offering — the Ultimate Canopy Tour, an epic 3.5-hour ziplining adventure that's even more extreme than the original.

Rotorua Canopy Tours runs out of a reserve of ancient native forest on the outskirts of the town. Most of us have probably driven past it on the way in to Rotovegas, but as it looks quite unassuming from the outside, you might not realise the wonders that lie within. The forest is accessible to the public, but there are no walking trails except for those operated by RCT.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's a bit like stepping back in time — this kind of forest once covered 80 per cent of the North Island and was home to moa and huia.

Brave souls  hit  the ziplines and bridges of the Rotorua Canopy Tour.
Brave souls hit the ziplines and bridges of the Rotorua Canopy Tour.

Before we get to the ziplines, we take a short trek through the bush and eavesdrop on the earlier group screaming through the trees.

As we stop to examine some ferns, a curious visitor arrives in the form of a cute North Island robin. I'm amazed by its tameness, as it perches on its little stick legs less than a metre away.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Turns out it's an example of cupboard love — guides Spencer Kirk and Cheynne McCalman carry small tins of mealworms as a treat for the robin and his mates. But it's a strict ration — three worms per bird, so they don't become lazy and dependent.

Surprisingly eagle-eyed for such a tiny guy, the robin swoops forward in a split second and snatches a wiggling worm right out of my palm.

Watching our feathered friend flit around, I start to anticipate my own flight through the forest.

Though I've ziplined before, I have to admit the video of the tour I watched the night before has my nerves up a little. The platforms, swing bridges and ziplines all look extremely high and I'm not used to seeing trees from that bird's eye angle.

Discover more

Travel

Flight check: Auckland to LA

05 Mar 08:00 PM
Travel

Flight check: Bristol to Amsterdam

06 Mar 08:00 PM
Travel

Flight check: Tokyo to Obihiro

09 Mar 07:00 PM
Travel

Flight check: Auckland to Apia

08 Mar 02:00 AM

Approaching the first platform, we're given a safety briefing before we ascend. On the drive to the forest, we were told people tend to get "grabby" at great heights, but everyone manages to keep their hands to themselves.

At the top, we're attached to a loop around the tree and lined up for the first ride — which as you can imagine, is a bit of a leap of faith. We're told to tuck our legs in — some of those trees are pretty close.

I let myself fall over the edge and immediately gain a lot of speed. The forest turns into a greenish blur as I spin around and end up backwards.

I imagine I'm slipping into a wormhole and zooming back to prehistoric times.

Once I've done the first zipline, I'm craving more speed and height, and the build-up is real. Each new zipline seems a little bit longer and higher than the last, and I quickly learn that going backwards is actually the most fun.

After a short coffee break on one of the tall canopy platforms, we're faced with the longest zipline — an epic 400 metres. And it's only natural to start this one with a backwards entry for a real thrill.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I volunteer to be the first rider, which is a great way to experience the peacefulness of the forest on the other side. Until the next person comes screaming down, that is.

As we cross the longest swing bridge on the course, I realise our tour is nearly over.

While three and a half hours seems like quite a long time, I can tell you it really zips by when you're flying through the forest on an ongoing adrenaline rush.

The last zipline is a great way to tire yourself out at the end — there are several long flights of stairs to get to the top, but we're rewarded with an amazing view through the trees to Lake Rotorua.

Battery depleted on my GoPro, I decide to take the risk and film the final fling on my iPhone — and I hold on to it with a death grip.

Despite the long drop below, our guide tells us only three people have dropped their phones on the course. And they even managed to retrieve a couple of them. However, if yours lands in a tree, you're probably out of luck.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After my phone and I make it safely to the other side, the tour ends with a controlled descent down from the final platform.

As we're lowered gently to the ground, Cheynne catches us all in her arms — now that's dedicated tour guiding.

Brave souls  hit  the ziplines and bridges of the Rotorua Canopy Tour.
Brave souls hit the ziplines and bridges of the Rotorua Canopy Tour.

CHECKLIST

DETAILS
For information on prices and bookings with Rotorua Canopy Tours, go to canopytours.co.nz.

WIN! A thrilling tour for two through ancient woodland and experience New Zealand's forest like never before with...

Posted by NZH Travel on Monday, 30 July 2018
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

What it’s like staying at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva 

11 Jul 12:05 AM
Travel

Inside the world’s swankiest ski hotels

10 Jul 08:00 AM
Travel

Why a weekend in Byron Bay is just what you need

09 Jul 08:00 AM

One pass, ten snowy adventures

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

What it’s like staying at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva 

What it’s like staying at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva 

11 Jul 12:05 AM

The five-star Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva offers the perfect blend of old and new.

Inside the world’s swankiest ski hotels

Inside the world’s swankiest ski hotels

10 Jul 08:00 AM
Why a weekend in Byron Bay is just what you need

Why a weekend in Byron Bay is just what you need

09 Jul 08:00 AM
An honest review of the Carnival Encounter cruise ship

An honest review of the Carnival Encounter cruise ship

09 Jul 07:03 AM
Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP