New Zealand takes CBS All Access adventures to new heights

It all begins in Albuquerque

On six Fridays during February and March, ‘The Early Show’ host Dave Price catapults a member of his studio audience into an ‘All Access’ weekend of full-on adventure. For the grand finale of this season’s series, Dave and his crew found themselves on stage in Albuquerque, New Mexico with three happily excited finalists.

After popping a bouquet of balloons, the lucky winner - Doni Hardy - found a pounamu (green stone) necklace and a troupe of Maori performance artists confirmed New Zealand as the destination with a rousing haka. More excitement was in store for Dave and Doni when they arrived at LAX for their flight to New Zealand. New Zealand-born adventure show host Phil Keoghan swept them off their feet with an Amazing Race send off and upgraded tickets to make the easy overnight flight to New Zealand even more comfortable.

Playtime in another world

In extreme contrast to the desert vistas of Albuquerque, Queenstown is in the heart of the Southern Alps - an immense range of mountains that runs for 550 kilometres up the spine of New Zealand’s South Island. Here New Zealanders have found countless ways to use the incredible alpine landscape for fun and thrills.

The Queenstown agenda for Dave and Doni will include an assortment of adventures ranging from mild to wild. Every activity comes with a major serving of mind-blowing scenery - snowy mountains, vast glacier-carved lakes and braided rivers that have cut deep gorges along the tranquil high country valleys.

So what would you choose to do in Queenstown? At the gentler end of the spectrum, you could enjoy a scenic horse trek along old gold mining trails or an early morning balloon flight. Crank up the adrenalin a notch and you might find yourself on a helicopter safari that culminates with a ‘picnic on a peak’. Another popular medium-scary adventure is jet boating along the spectacular Shotover, Dart or Kawarau Rivers.

However Queenstown’s most famous experiences are those that challenge your comfort zone. For example, tandem paragliding from Bob’s Peak; climbing the southern hemisphere’s only Via Ferrata system; canyoning 12-Mile Delta, with its pools, rock chutes, waterfalls and caves; and taking a leap off the world’s first bungy bridge. These kinds of adventures are the salt and pepper of life.

Accessible adventures in Auckland

Many New Zealand holidays begin and end in the harbour city of Auckland, the South Pacific region’s largest population centre. Dave and Doni are taking advantage of this fact by including a couple of maritime adventures on their itinerary.

Sailing in Auckland
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Just an overnight flight away

The USA and New Zealand are neighbours around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Overnight direct flights connect the two countries, so swapping hemispheres is relatively effortless by today’s travel standards. To dream up your own ‘All Access’ VIP itinerary, try out the travel planner tool.