Top 10 Adventure Sports In Australia

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Australia is an adventure lover’s delight. Even the sky isn’t the limit when it comes to adrenaline pumping activities in Australia. With a bustling coastline, sprawling outback and a mild climate year round, it proves to be a paradise for all adventure lovers with the endless list of indoor and outdoor activities. Here is a list of 10 most lured activities in Australia.

Hang Gliding – NSW





Ever wanted to fly like a bird? well, now you can. Experience the thrill of Hang Gliding in Sydney over world famous ‘Bald Hill’ at Stanwell Park and ‘Hill 60’ near Wollongong. You will be airborne for 30 minutes approximately along the spectacular Illawarra escarpment and land on the beach at Stanwell Park. For first timers, they have the advanced technology which allows you to fly with an instructor. Courses also commence regularly with the best time to learn September through to the end of May with a Tandem Instructional Flight the recommended place to begin.

Windsurfing and Kitesurfing – WA






Western Australia’s world-class waves and consistent winds create perfect port tack sailing conditions for novices and professionals alike. The windsurfing capital of Geraldton is one of the windiest spots on Australia’s west coast-WA. When the strongest sea breezes roll in from November to March, make a beeline for the jumps and easy wave riding on Coronation Beach. The surfing capital of Margaret River, allows you to test your skills on some of the most spectacular surf on Earth. Here, the swell is often mast high or more and conditions can be unforgiving to even the most experienced kiters and surfers. Also, the Swan River and many of Perth’s 19 beaches offer perfect conditions for wind sailing and kitesurfing between December and March, when the southerly sea breezes are up.

SkyDiving



For pure fear, it’s hard to beat sitting in an open doorway of a plane knowing you’re about to jump into absolutely nothing. Nothing can make you smile as much as the realisation of knowing you are not dead after jumping out of a plane. There are lots of places to skydive in Australia and nearly all of them offer something spectacular to look at while you’re plummeting earthwards. The view from Byron is among the best though. Flight time is 15 minutes or so, free fall around 45 seconds, while the entire jump lasts around four to five minutes. The adrenaline rush lasts much longer.


Hot air ballooning





Ascend into the heavens on a sunrise hot air balloon flight, suitable for all ages. Take a balloon ride and feel the magic of soaring over a changing landscape at sunrise, suspended in a basket under a glorious hot air balloon. Most flights begin set up well before dawn in order to catch the early morning breezes. There are plenty of places suitable for hot air ballooning around Australia with the best being the Yarra Valley in Victoria, the Barossa Valley in South Australia, Alice Springs and Canberra.

Scuba diving – Great Barrier or Ningaloo Reef



Completely surrounded by water and rich in islands and reefs, Australia is a diver’s dream with more than 4000 species of fish and the world’s highest diversity of seagrass. Learn to dive in Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef-the world’s largest living organism which stretches most of the way down the north-east coast. The Ningaloo Reef, on Western Australia’s west coast is a bit smaller, a lot quieter but still provides some stunning dives.


Diving with Sharks – SA






Experience the chance to see the legendary Great White Shark in its natural habitat with a glass viewing area of 360 degree views underwater. Rising steeply from deep water in the mouth of Spencer Gulf, the remote, windswept Neptune Islands are the setting for one of the world’s greatest underwater experiences: cage diving with the Great White Shark. SA is one of the few places in the world and only place in Australia where you can get personal with the Great White.

White Water Rafting – Tasmania


Tasmania has a strong white water kayak community and the rafting opportunities are numerous. The Franklin River is Australia’s best river rafting destination. On your adventure you will experience surging rapids, exciting whitewater, tranquil gorges and rare pristine temperate rainforests. Native wildlife including platypus, wallabies, quolls, yellow-tailed black cockatoos and white breasted sea eagles are often encountered. Most Franklin River trips take between five to ten days but some other rivers offer shorter duration rafting experiences.


Abseiling and Rock Climbing-Victoria



For those who prefer a challenge that only nature can provide, the Grampians National Park in western Victoria provide hundreds of exciting climbs, especially on the rugged cliff faces of Mount Stapylton at the park’s northern end and Mount Rosea, just south of Halls Gap. However Australia’s best known climbing site is nearby Mount Arapiles, located near the small town of Natimuk.


Mountain Biking – NSW




$12.95
The extensive network of roads through state forests in NSW provides the enthusiastic mountain bikers the much needed biking experience. Thredbo is the capital of mountain biking in Australia, with a range of trails from easy-riding for casual riders to complex terrain for the downhill dynamos, as well as regular championship racing events. So just take your bike up to the top of the mountain and start pedalling down the slope as fast as you can.

Jet Fighter Flights – NSW

Ever wanted to become a fighter pilot but couldn’t eh? Here’s a chance for you to become one for a day. You’ll get to experience extreme G-Forces, perform aerobatic manoeuvres and travel at speed that will blow your mind in an ex-military fighter jet. Also get the privilege of choosing your mission and aircraft. You can also customize your mission according to your preferences. The mission is to be completed from 15 to 40 minutes depending upon your choice and level from the scale of mild to wild.

Credit : www.cartographics.com.au

Cairns River Tubing: Free-Floating Fun on the Mulgrave River

Adrenalin

The Wet Tropics region of Far North Queensland, Australia, is perfect territory for river activities with full flowing rivers coursing through luscious green rainforest.

Local tour companies around the Cairns and Port Douglas area offer everything from white water rafting to kayaking and paddle boarding, but if you want to be able to enjoy the river without learning how to paddle, then River Tubing might be for you.

what is river tubing?

 

River tubing involves free floating down river on an inner tube.

All you have to do is sit in your tube (which has mesh in the bottom so you don’t fall through) and go with the flow.

It might look a bit tame compared to rafting but it is fun and since it’s pretty easy, it is ideal for families and people who want to experience a river activity more gentle than white water rafting.

Foaming fury

Foaming Fury is a small and friendly local tour company.

We recently joined their River Tubing tour on the Mulgrave River in the Goldsborough Valley, about 30 minutes drive south of Cairns.

It was the perfect day for messing about on the river – sunny weather and reasonably high water levels.

There were 10 of us on the tour including our two lively river guides, Mikey and Max, who clearly love their jobs (and who wouldn’t?!).

The Tour

 

At the start we had about a five-minute walk along a rocky riverbed to get to the area where we launched ourselves into the river.

Pushing our tubes into the river we started on some very gentle rapids and then drifted along while our guides talked us through some basic tips and tried to get us wet by making us stand on our tubes!

Getting wet is obviously all a part of the trip and, lucky for us, on the day we went the water temperature was perfect.

Floating downstream we soon came to a bigger set of rapids where we spent most of the morning going up and down river.

 

The guides pulled a rope across the river below the rapids so we could grab hold of it, pull ourselves out and walk back up along the riverbank for another go.

It was great fun trying out lots of different ways to ride the river.

It’s basically just like being in a waterpark but with much better scenery and no queues!

Secret Swim Hole

 

After about 5-6 runs, Mikey and Max showed us a secret little swim hole just nearby.

There is another creek that joins the river at this point with much cooler water and if you follow it uphill for about 3-4 minutes you come across a fantastic swim hole that clearly nobody else knows about.

We spent some time having a very refreshing swim, jumping in from the rocks and trying to climb trees to swing from, before making our way back to the main river. Then we jumped back in our tubes and drifted down to the end of the tour.

This Foaming Fury river tubing tour is a great way to spend half a day. It’s lots of fun and a wonderful way to enjoy the scenery around Cairns.

By Elaine Seager

The Top 5 Water Sport Locations Around the World

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Whether it’s surfing, scuba diving, jet ski-riding or waterskiing, be sure to pack your wetsuit when next making travel plans because the world is full of fabulous places to enjoy some leisure time on the water. Here’s a glimpse of the top five water sport locations around the world to get your travel plans started.

The Whitsundays, Australia

Scuba diving, jet skiing and boating are all staple activities in this fabulous location that is a prominent fixture of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Take in one of the Seven Wonders of the World by diving into the reef and see some of the most amazing coral on the planet or enjoy the yachting that is a mainstay of the region.
If speed is more your thing, then this is a jet skiing and boating paradise with the 74 Whitsunday Islands as either your destination or backdrop. For equipment and inspiration, check out websites such as JSW Powersports.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Another great Southern hemisphere watersports location is Milford Sound, on New Zealand’s South Island. An ideal kayaking location, it features the spectacular scenery of vast mountains and the chance of meeting penguins, dolphins or seals. Milford Sound is also home to Mitre Peak, which stands at 1,682m and rises more than a kilometre out of the waters of the fjord.

Oahu, Hawaii, USA

Head to Hawaii, the home of surfing, and ride the world-renowned waves of Oahu. Oahu boasts hundreds of fabulous spots to catch a wave, with the North Shore well recognised for its rolling winter swells. A must-do for surf pros and casual surfers alike, the region boasts consistently warm water temperatures.

Dakhla, Morocco

One of the most spectacular windsurfing locations in the world, Dakhla is situated on a 40 kilometre peninsula in the Western Sahara region of Morocco. The peninsula shelters the Bay of Dakhla from the Atlantic Ocean, meaning the region boasts fabulous beaches, waves, a 48km-long lake and spectacular desert scenery all in one location. Surfing and wake boarding are also catered for, making this a water sports paradise set in one of the most striking locations on earth.

The French Riviera

The French Riviera has long been a haven for those seeking to holiday on the water and it has the sporting facilities to match its fun-loving heritage. From diving to power boating, and kitesurfing to water skiing, the French Riviera is the ultimate water lover’s playground. While the summer season is the most popular time to visit the Mediterranean, the French Riviera has a great climate all year round. And should you become waterlogged, there’s a host of land activities and sights to also take your fancy.
Whether you’re looking to embrace the popular water sports locations or find a new paradise somewhere a little more off the beaten track, there’s fabulous water sports destinations across the globe. Once you’ve picked that destination, the question is what other than a wetsuit do you need to pack for the trip?

Information Credit : www.balibackpacking.com