New Zealand Travel – Skyline Skyrides Rotorua NZ

Ride the Gondola up the Mountain, Luge down or Ride the Sky Swing

Oct 28, 2009

Skyline Skyrides on Mt Ngongotaha is an activity worth including in any tourist diary. The range of experiences suit any age group and the views are unforgettable.

A whole day or an hour or two can be whiled away at the Skyline Skyrides complex. All interests are catered for, from the adrenaline-rush of the Sky Swing to a sprint down the mountainside by Luge, or a leisurely dining experience.

Skyline Skyrides Gondola Cableway Offers Expansive Views of Rotorua City

The experience begins with a gondola ride up the slopes of Mt Ngongotaha. Being transported 487 metres above sea level may be nerve-tingling for the vertigo sufferer, but the comfort of the eight-seater carriages and the unfolding views make the ascent worthwhile. The ride is especially magical at night when the city lights are stitched against the waters of Lake Rotorua. To take full advantage of the scenery it pays be seated on the eastern-facing side of the gondola. Carriages allow easy entry and exit for strollers and wheelchairs and the operator will moderate speed so that less agile users can comfortably gain access.

Take a Twilight Luge Ride Through the Redwood Forest – Return by Chairlift

Luge rides are as challenging or relaxed as the rider desires. The three-wheeled carts are equipped with braking and steering mechanisms that allow riders full control, although taking the intermediate or scenic routes would be wisest for the less adventurous. A swifter descent is presented by the advanced track with its swooping bends and dips. The scenic Luge track winds through a forest of redwood trees, with open bays where riders can pause to take photographs or drink in the scenery. During January-March the scenic and intermediate tracks are lit for twilight luging. This experience may be dependent on weather conditions.

The Luge is an enjoyable experience for people of all ages, although children under six must ride tandem and the advanced track is considered suitable for children 10 years and over. The ascent back up to the complex is made on an especially designed chairlift system – an experience in itself given the precarious sense of freedom in being suspended in the open air high over a mountain slope. Be prepared to pay out for more than one ride – Luging can be addictive. People of extra-large girth may enjoy the Luge ride but extracting themselves from the carts can prove tricky.

Adrenaline-Pumping Extreme Adventure on the Sky Swing

The Sky Swing delivers on its promise – 150kph in two seconds. The ultimate stomach-swooping exercise, the Sky Swing winches riders 50 metres above ground level and at the pull of chord plummets them into space. After a paralysingly swift descent, riders are gently swung out over the mountain slopes with the vista of Rotorua spread out far beneath. Not for the faint-hearted.

Wining, Dining, Functions and Terrace Café at Skyline Skyrides

Skyline Skyrides is a multi-functional operation. The fully licensed Cableway Restaurant and Bar offers a mouthwatering buffet with an array of delicacies from live mussels steamed open at guests’ tables to fresh produce and choice cuts of New Zealand meats. Casual café meals and coffees are available at the adjacent Terraces Café, all with 180º views of the Rotorua basin and surrounding hills.

Skyline Skyride Prices (all rates $NZ)

Skyline Skyrides is an all-weather experience but like most travel experiences is most enjoyed under sunny skies. Skyline Skyrides, 185 Fairy Springs Rd, PO Box 2353, Rotorua 3010. Ph: 64+7 347 0027; Fax: 64+7 348 2163; enquiries@skylineskyrides.co.nz.

The copyright of the article New Zealand Travel – Skyline Skyrides Rotorua NZ in New Zealand Travel is owned by Lyn Rasmussen. Permission to republish New Zealand Travel – Skyline Skyrides Rotorua NZ in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.