Kiwi Innovation

Back to topics

Kiwi Innovation

Ingenuity and innovation are characteristics Kiwis are renowned for, and the tourism industry in New Zealand is no exception. The Hamilton Jet, the ski plane, bungy, blokart and Zorb are all examples of Kiwi inventions that have pushed traditional boundaries of travel and embody the Kiwi sense of adventure. These examples have provided more unique ways to experience some of New Zealand’s most scenic locations. New Zealand continues to push innovation in a range of other fields, from its traditional export industries such as agriculture and dairy, to newer growth areas such as fresh cuisine and award-winning wine.

View these and more Innovation images from the Tourism New Zealand's Image Library. All images are available to download.

The Kawarau Bridge Bungy - home to the original 43-metre Bungy Jump. If you've heard of Bungy, you've heard of Kawarau. The world's first and most infamous of leaps is still going strong, with tens of thousands Bungying each year.

Photo credit: AJ Hackett Bungy

You’re about to experience a 360 degree thrill! A ride on a jet boat is an adrenalin rush that will leave you gasping.

When the driver draws a circle in the air above his head, you know its time to hold on tight. You’re about to experience a 360 degree thrill! A ride on a jet boat is an adrenalin rush that will leave you gasping. You’ll whip past canyon walls, slide around boulders and skim along impossibly shallow river channels. What a blast!

Photo credit: Shotover Jet

Queenstown promises to take you well out of your comfort zone, but still within limits of safety.

After a night spent sampling Queenstown’s bars and night clubs, a swing over the Shotover River is a great way to get some fresh air. Reported to be even more toe-tingling than a bungy jump, the swing is poised 109 metres above the river. You can jump or be released from a specially designed launch boom.

Photo credit: Shotover Canyon Swing

Rolling down a hill inside a zorb is an exercise in weightlessness.

Zorbing is an extreme adventure ride that involves rolling down a hill inside an inflatable, clear plastic ‘zorb’. Those who do it are called Zorbonauts, because they experience a sense of weightlessness that has been likened to space travel. If you want to zorb, get yourself to the geothermal city of Rotorua.

Photo credit: Gareth Eyres

Utilities:

Edition:

English |
|
|

Our other sites:

The email addresses published on this web page are for conducting communications that promote Tourism in New Zealand, and are not to be used for any other commercial purpose.