I can only imagine the speed I am going as I whiz through the forest descending 30 storeys. I feel like a bird flying through the trees which is quite fitting as I am taking the Kea Tour with Ziptrek Ecotours in Queenstown, New Zealand. What a great welcome to the adventure capital of the world I received from them as I took their 6 line tour, one of which is the steepest zip lines in the world! Yup, that is a 300 m (984 ft) zip line where you reach speeds of up to 70 kph.
Not only do Ziptrek Ecotours Queenstown give you a fun-filled trip but they also educate you on the way around. Our guides, Sam and Rhys kept us entertained all the way around and gave us so much information about the area, its history and endangered plants and animals it is home to.
Ziptrek also gives back to the environment in a massive way. They truly are an eco-friendly tour! I have been on many ‘eco-based’ tours who educate you but some of their practices are not so eco-friendly. Ziptrek is certainly not one of these tours and has even won the Environmental Tourism Award for their hard work.
Yes, their platforms are made of wood, but this is sustainably sourced. Their electronic safety gates are electric but are powered by solar. They spend their time managing the woodland around them, reintroducing native trees which have been pushed out by the non-native Douglas Fir trees which have overtaken the area.
If you are in Queenstown, New Zealand’s South Island, then I highly recommend Ziptrek Ecotours Queenstown. They truly combine nature-based learning with a rush of adrenaline.
Things to know about ziplining their Kea Tour:
1/ The tour consists of 6 zip lines, one of which is the steepest in the world.
2/ There are 12 aerial treetop platforms all with educational information to keep you entertained between the zips
3/ The tour lasts 2.5 – 3 hours.
4/ There is a 20-minute walk downhill between a section of the zip line where you will learn all about the native beech forest.
5/ For the Kea Tour, you need to be a minimum weight of 30 kgs (66 lbs) and a maximum weight of 125 kgs (275 lbs)
6/ The Kea Tour costs: Youth NZ$149, Adults: $195 and Seniors: $149
Things you need to know about Zip Trek EcoTours:
1/ They have 3 different routes available; the 4 line Moa Tour, the 6 line Kea Tour and 2 line Kereru Tour which includes a 21-meter drop. They also have a twilight tour.
2/ The minimum age is 6 years for the Moa and Kea Tours and 10 years and above for the Kereru Tour.
3/ The prices of the tours do not include the gondola ticket. However instead of taking the gondola up, we hiked up which was a nice walk through the forest but can be steep at times.
Disclaimer: Zip Trek EcoTours hosted us on this tour however all of my thoughts about this trip are my own and real.
You are brave enough to do this. I can never get myself to even think of attempting ziplining and that too at the steepest zipline in NZ. It is nice that zip trek is offering these eco-tours by being responsible towards the environment. And, the photographs have me hooked.
This sounds exactly like the kind of activity I would enjoy. It’s a pity I didn’t do it on my last trip to Queenstown, although I did the bungee jump. The steepest zipline in New Zealand, rather, the world, is something that should’ve been on my list! It’s good to know that Ziptrek Ecotours is not all about the adventure but they also educate one on the environment. Sounds like a really cool experience overall.
The first picture of yours hooked me to this article. It looks like an ultimate adventure. Being an adventure junkie myself, I totally loved this post. And it is so great that Ziptrek Ecotours are conducting these in an eco-friendly way. Again, the pictures are so inspiring me to do zip lining soon!
What an amazing experience! We LOVE ziplining and have been in many places. We are planning to go on an extended trip to New Zealand, so I will keep Ziptrek Ecotours in mind. Those views are outstanding!
They have got so many routes! That is a nice alternative for the family with kids. We were there only for one day and weren’t sure what to do for the limited time. This would be a good suggestion. A different way to see the nature.
That picture of you turned upside down on the zip–Whew! I really need to get fitter and muster up some courage for this adventure. It looks really thrilling. And I liked the fact that they have eco-friendly practices in place–am sure it has its own challenges but to stick to making it as environment friendly as possible is so vital. We really need tour operators like this in India also.
I was literally just planning my NZ trip last night and trying to figure out which adventure activities I wanted do in Queenstown. Ziplining wasn’t even on my radar, but now it is! I’ve zip lined before with some really gorgeous views, but those views in your pics are hard to beat! I’ll have to look into booking a tour with them when I’m there in October.
I haven’t visited New Zealand yet but I like taking eco-tours everywhere I go. The ziptrek sounds like something I would definitely do, it seems so exciting! Is the tour available throughout the year?