The Best of Paragliding in New Zealand.

Paragliding as it is practiced in New Zealand consists of taking off a mountain and allowing yourself to be carried by a sail.

The activity is mainly practiced in tandem: a professional instructor ensures the maneuver while the passenger quietly enjoys the breath-taking scenery.

In a country that offers countless activities overpriced, paragliding remains a sport accessible to small budgets.

For example, a baptism of paragliding at $200 costs half the price of a parachute jump, and for a double duration-time!

As the majority of travelers will discover the country of the kiwis during a brief stay, this guide is mainly devoted to the paragliding baptisms to be carried out in tandem.

But it is also possible to take lessons to learn to fly all alone if you want...

True to its reputation of World Capital of Adventure, the city of Queenstown is considered the Mecca of paragliding in New Zealand. It was here where the first amateur flights took place in the 80s, but the very contrasted relief of the country offers countless flying spots!

I will present the complete activity, from take-off to landing, going through the list of the best organizers and the most beautiful spots.

Security issues will not be neglected and I will reassure those who still hesitate.

About clothes, a pair of sneakers, a jeans and a good hot sweater should do the trick. But I recommend that you ask the question directly by phone to the organizer, because the air is often cool in the mountains (including in summer): so avoid being caught off guard once in the air!

Do not forget your sunglasses, an indispensable accessory when you will fly over snowy landscapes and lakes with high reverberation.

The practice of paragliding depends mainly on the weather conditions.

To be able to take off, the presence of a slight rising wind facilitates the operations, especially in tandem.

The instructor takes advantage of the waiting to detail the procedure to follow during take-off and landing phases. He will also present the flight plan and if you still have some fears, do not hesitate to share them.

It is quite normal to feel a little apprehension before a paragliding baptism, but the monitor is here to reassure you. Of course, you are not going to jump from of a steep cliff, and the take-off is done with disconcerting ease.

When the time comes, you will run down a slope with the wing spread to the ground behind you in the axis of the wind. Of course, you're not going to rush to a steep cliff, and the take off is done with a disconcerting ease.

A few seconds after leaving the ground, you will be seated comfortably and the monitor will take care of all the maneuvers. By reflexes, you will cling to the fasteners before realizing that it is not necessary.

The wing that carries you is composed wing a large number of interconnected cells where the wind blows to give it a characteristic shape in a circular arc.

If it is not as fast as hang-gliding, paragliding allows to move at a speed between 25 and 38 hm / h.

If the weather conditions are good, the monitor will let you even perform some simple maneuvers, such as changes of direction, but nothing forces you to do so.

Always with your approval, you can experience some thrills by performing 360 ° turns and sudden accelerated descents.

Landing is often feared by beginners, but this maneuver presents no difficulty in tandem. The operation is carried out following a trajectory facing the wind. The monitor takes care of everything and will only ask you to fold your legs before landing.

When the time comes, you will land in a field, after a peaceful descending to the vertical. For spectators, this seems like a child's play at first glance, but is paragliding a safe sport?

During tandem flights, the instructor keeps clear of the cliffs without taking any risks.

As a passenger, you will be securely harnessed and the emergency parachute is mandatory and provides a double safety.

The professionals perform the take-off and landing phases with exceptional precision.

Each pilot trains every day to be able to control his speed, the direction of his sail and, of course, the altitude of the flight.

Nothing is left to chance: instruments (altimeter and variometer) allows the monitor to know exactly how fast his sail goes up or down in the air. In reality, the landing is almost always done in the same location, sometimes within a few meters. Because a monitor never takes-off without knowing in advance where he plans to land, and he follows a route taken hundreds of times before.

Even if this is a tourist activity, the security conditions are never taken lightly.

Weather plays an essential role, and unstable conditions such as a strong wind or rain are enough to postpone an outing.

The number of serious accidents concerns a derisory percentage (0.026% of flights each year).

In these conditions, your only concern should be to know if you have the means to offer yourself a paragliding baptism in tandem ...

The average tariff for a baptism of paragliding in tandem oscillates between $180 and $200.

In addition, it usually costs $30 to $50 to get souvenirs pictures or videos on a USB key. This is a nice extra, but you will be able to control the quality before you buy anyway.

Paragliding is considered an extraordinary activity by more than 95% of people who tried it in New Zealand (source Trip Advisor).

You will get what you pay for, with thrills and unforgettable memories.

And since the activity does not require exceptional courage (the monitor performs all the maneuvers), it's not always easy to find an available time slot! Paragliding is a victim of its success and it is imperative to book, if only to benefit from significant reductions (sometimes up to -10%).

In the early morning, the weather is often better and prices are sometimes lowered. This does not change the duration of the flight which varies from 7 to 20 minutes depending on the strength of the wind, but especially according to the quality of the monitor ...

The GForce Company has two take-off areas located behind the Queenstown Skyline Complex that overlooks Wakatipu Lake.

You will have to use the gondola to reach your instructor, but the tickets are fortunately included in the price.

Coronet Peak is the highest paragliding spot of the Otago, at only twenty minutes of Queenstown. The take-off is a little more impressive than usual, but presents no difficulty.

The company's departure point is at the Treble Cone ski resort. Perhaps the most beautiful panorama of the whole country, with a flight slightly longer than the average (from 15 to 25 minutes).

A take-off based in Barnicoat Hill, a great spot well known to the locals, but underestimated by the general public. Make no mistake, the area is perfectly suited for paragliding and the panoramas have nothing to envy those of the Otago.

The Auckland area offers countless points of flight, but the most famous is Muriwai Beach Cliffs, where Wings & Waves proposes to take off from the top of the cliffs.

For enthusiasts who cannot be satisfied with just a single short flight during their stay, here is a list of the best spots to practice the paragliding on the two islands of New Zealand.

Contrary to what our previous ranking might suggest, the North Island has even more paragliding spots than the South Island.

Here is a list of locations where paragliding is practiced away from crowds of tourists. If you want to improve your level or take lessons, you will pay less and spend more time in the air.

If solo paragliding is sometimes categorized as an extreme sport, a tandem excursion with a monitor is practically a leisure activity open to everyone. Even children over the age of seven can live a dream awake, and seniors are accepted without age limits.

A regular question about paragliding concerns the time spent in the air: on average, you can expect to spend 15 minutes flying over extraordinary landscapes, but the weather can lengthen or shorten the flight. The activity does not come free, but the paragliding deserves some sacrifices.

We have just scratched the surface and I hope to have given you the desire to try such an exceptional activity.

Do not ask yourself too many questions, and book your flight on the Internet without delay: online rates are generally 10% cheaper than on location.

I leave you with our friend Ben the Kiwi, our paragliding expert.

If you have any questions, just ask and you'll receive a quick reply.