Australia’s Ultimate Adrenaline Challenge: How Many Thrills Can You Pack into a Gap Year?
Planning your gap year? Bit of an adrenaline junkie? Then have we got a challenge for you…
As one of the most adventurous countries in the world, there’s no better place than the land down under to feed your addiction. From skydiving to white-water rafting, how many of the following can you manage to tick off?
- Ride in a helicopter with no doors: There’s helicopter rides – and then there’s helicopter rides… A truly authentic (and adrenaline-pumping) chopper ride in a 2 or 4-seater with the doors off is something that’ll stay with you for life. Some of the best locations to do this include the Hunter Valley NSW, over the beaches of Sydney, in the wilds of the Northern Territory, and – of course, in the Red Centre around Uluru and King’s Canyon.
- Go extreme canyoning: Don a wetsuit and a hard hat and immerse yourself into the wet and wild world of canyoning. From heart-stopping cliff jumps to abseiling, swooshing down natural water chutes to navigating waterfalls, there are options for all ability levels. Two of the ultimate canyoning destinations are the Blue Mountains in NSW and around Cairns in QLD.
- Dive or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef: Stretching over 2,300 km off the coast of Queensland, this world-famous reef is a must-visit destination. That means there’s a whole lot of choice as to where to visit (and nothing says you can’t go to multiple places). The wildest area is in the far north, from Port Douglas up to the Cape York Peninsula.
- Drive a race car: Australia’s many race tracks offer multiple race car experiences. From gunning the pedal of a V8 engine or F1 vehicle to learning defensive driving skills, there’s nothing quite like kicking the pedal to the metal and experiencing the instantaneous buzz as your chosen hunk of metal swiftly gathers speed…
- Swag camp in the outback: Rolling up in a swag with nothing but a million stars above and the sound of distant howling dingoes to lull you to sleep is about as authentically Australian as it gets. Plus, you’ll get an extra burst of your fight-or-flight hormone in the morning as you carefully check your boots and socks for critters before you put them back on…
- Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge: A classic Aussie gap year activity that’ll appeal to many. Choose a night or dawn climb to see the city at its most surreal.
- Go hot air ballooning: If you’ve never done it before, nothing will prepare you for the almost ethereal feeling you get as nothing but a big bag of hot air lifts you towards the heavens. As the ground drops away and you soar up, up, up, the weightless quiet (once the burners are turned off) takes over. And the views… Oh, the views…
- Swim with whales: The Ningaloo Reef, off the coast of Exmouth WA, offers a unique in-water experience with migrating humpback whales. Small groups with an experienced guide are allowed to enter the water close to the whales – something that’s likely to not only get the adrenaline pumping, but to leave you with a lifelong awe of how privileged you were to be so close to these majestic creatures.
- Ride a jet boat: Take a power boat ride in iconic locations, such as Surfer’s Paradise, Sydney Harbour, Airlie Beach, Whitehaven, Cairns and more, where you’ll reach eye-watering speeds of up to 80 km/h, take g-force turns and generally have a shriekingly-good time on the water.
- Go white-water rafting: Australia’s rivers offer some awesome white-water thrills. Combine your paddling prowess with others on a white-water rafting trip, kayak the churning maelstroms or let the water take charge on a tubing adventure. Either way, you’ll get a hit from the natural rush from the sheer power of Mother Nature as she whips you downstream at breakneck speed.
- Experience a free fall skydive: There are loads of places to take a leap of faith, but none more scenic than over the idyllic Rottnest Island in WA. Strapped safely to an instructor, you’ll leave the safety of the aircraft at 15,000 ft, freefalling towards the white sands that fringe Rottnest far, far below.
A skydive is, perhaps, the biggest adrenaline rush of all the above – and there’s no better operator than Skydive Geronimo to give you a rip-roaring time. As the only licensed provider of tandem skydives that can actually land on the island (and have been for many years), you can be sure we know a thing or two about combining safety with a screamingly good time.
Once done, explore all that Rottnest has to offer, or stay overnight to get the full island experience. Discover more about our skydiving packages and special offers – and we’ll see you on the day for the ultimate adrenaline shot…
Glenn is a successful Skydive Instructor who’s successfully turned his lifelong passion into an award-winning adventure tourism business. His love for the thrill of the jump began over three decades ago in Matamata, New Zealand. 20,000+ jumps later and with the highest Australian Chief Instructor / Instructor A ratings under his belt, he and his wife, Amy, dedicate their lives to running the Western Australian-based Skydive Geronimo, the only company licensed to provide tandem jumps over one of the pearls of the Indian Ocean, Rottnest Island.
Glenn works tirelessly in all aspects of the business – from student and instructor training through to equipment safety, PR, Australian Parachute Federation (APF) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) compliance and everything in between. He also delivers education sessions to local pilots about skydiving operations in Perth and the surrounding area.
