Ziplining and Jetboating

While in Rotorua I did some "adventure" things. I went on a ziplining tour, as I thought it would be interesting to see the rain forest from above. Those hopes were maybe only fulfilled partially, but it was great fun to go on the zipline through the forest. Not the least because of the very good and entertaining guides from Rotorua Canopy Tours.

I also went on a jetboat tour called The Squeeze that was quite a unique experience. Alas, there are no pictures from the squeeze itself, since that would have reqiured a waterproof camera. There are still plenty of pictures from the ride down the Waikato river, the longest river in New Zealand. I simply could not resist the beuaty of the landscape around the river being mirrored in the calm river waters. (However, the calmness is an artefact of all the power plants downstream. In its natural state, the river would have rapids all along the way.) On the way back from the squeeze, the driver drove the boat at full speed with all the crazy things, including spins, that you can expect from a jetboat tour.

So what is The Squeeze? When we arrived to our destination we disembarked the boat, and waded up a creek which obviously is fed by a hot spring, as the water was warm, 25‑30°C. There was a passage where the creek passed through a narrow cleft in the rocks where the water reached up to our necks. (Whence the name "the squeeze".) Eventually, we reached a waterfall where we could get some nice massage from the running warm water. And all around us was the native bush. Amazing!

If you are in the area, and want to do the Squeeze, the company to talk to is Riverjet.

Ziplining

1. On the Wire