If you’ve read my blog for a while, you probably know that Rotorua is my favourite place to explore and that I do like to push my comfort zone every once in a while and get my heart pumping. Where better to get my adrenaline fix than at the Rotorua adventure park par excellence: Velocity Valley Rotorua.  

I was recently invited to try out their rides and boy, was I riding that adrenaline high for hours on end! 

If you’re thinking about visiting Rotorua Velocity Valley, here’s what you can expect.

Velocity Valley Rotorua

Velocity Valley is located on the outskirts of Rotorua, off SH5 on the way to/from Auckland. You have six different rides with various thrill levels to choose from. 

What a cool invention! Take two capsules in pill form, equip them with pedals and hang them onto two parallel rails like a monorail and you’ve got the Shweeb Racer. In short, you could say the Shweeb is a human-powered monorail racetrack.

Since I’m in Rotorua alone this time round, one of the lovely staff members agrees to race me. We go through some quick explanations on what to do and which buttons not to press and off we go. The first round of three seems easy enough. It’s pretty cool flying through the track. In the second round I try to go faster and in the third, I’m huffing already! The track is 200 meters long, everyone gets to do 3 rounds plus one to slow down. That’s a 600 meters | 0.37 miles sprint! Exhausted, I slump out of my little capsule. I really need to hit the gym more often! 

Apparently, I’ve got the fastest time of the day so far but since I’m only the second person racing this morning I assume it’s not going to take long to beat my time...

Jet boats are a New Zealand invention and can be found in all sizes. Although, the most common ones in commercial use are big ones (like Shotover Jet in Queenstown, for example). Velocity Valley has a small sprinter that fits only 3 people (the pilot and up to 2 passengers). As my driver explained to me, the Agrojet moves like the Ferrari of jet boats and the ones you usually see are more like buses. I’m intrigued.

We slowly chug out of our parking spot and into position for the first round of the designated racing track. When my pilot accelerates, I’m pushed back into my seat. It feels like a plane about to take off. I’m taken by surprise at the instant speed of this jet boat, it definitely moves way differently from the big ones!

We race along the track at full speed. Moments before hitting the end of the pond, we make a sharp turn and zig-zag around little islands, still at full throttle and water splashing around me (but not on me, surprisingly). 

We take two more rounds through the racing track. It’s a different route each time so I’m not able to anticipate where we’re going. A last 360° spin and...finished. 

Once upon a time, in my early twenties, I jumped out of a plane in Australia while strapped to a parachute and a professional skydiver. Whether I could muster up the courage to do this again now I don’t know, but I do remember loving the feeling of falling. I’m not unhappy I won’t have to throw myself out of a plane to recreate that feeling and cannot wait to try out Freefall Xtreme! 

Freefall Xtreme pumps a massive amount of air through a small channel, creating enough upwind for people to float weightlessly in the air. Most places do this as a so-called indoor skydiving variation but at the adventure park in Rotorua, you fly outdoors. 

I’m handed a jumpsuit, helmet and goggles and need to take off everything that might be flying off during my flight. Even my socks and shoes need to stay behind! The lovely staff instruct me on how to position myself so I’d take off from the ground and how they'd show me which body part to adjust during my flight.

Together with my flying instructor I enter the wind tunnel and lie on my belly. The wind machine switches on and the blow instantly takes my breath away (it’s like trying to breathe while hanging your head out of a fast-driving car). I’m trying to get into position on my belly and figure out how not to suffocate and slowly but surely, my body lifts off the ground. 

Holy heck, I’m flying! 

Freefall Xtreme lets you fly for 1.5 minutes. It might not sound like a long time but it feels more when you’re actually in the tunnel. One of the team members gestures me what to do with my arms and legs and I’m not quite sure how well I’m doing but man, my muscles start to hurt after a while. Another reminder to hit the gym more often! 

We fly up and down the wind channel and I can’t stop smiling (while trying not to get all the air in my mouth...). It really does feel like skydiving, minus seeing the ground coming closer.

After 1.5 minutes, the airflow gradually stops and I slowly sink back to the ground. 

Giant swings are the closest I come to bungy jumps. I get the exhilaration of falling free for a few moments, which I love, without having to actively jump from a ledge, which terrifies me. 

What I didn’t realise until I was strapped into the Swoop was that I was going to be the one pulling the cord that would release and send us flying towards the ground. A mini-version of an actual bungy jump, if you will. Ooookay...

The Swoop is Velocity Valley’s version of a giant swing. You can find various versions of swings all over New Zealand and they’re all different. 

Up to three people can swoop at the same time. Lying on my belly, I get strapped into some kind of body bag. A Velocity Valley employee tags along for the ride to add weight and thus speed. He also has access to the trigger, just in case I chicken out. I’m told to not touch the release latch until I’m told to.

Still on our belly, we’re slowly pulled up, the ground further and further away. The Swoop is attached to the cabin from which people bungy, meaning once reaching the top, we’re dangling in 40 meters | 141 feet (the bungy cabin is only 3 meters higher up). 

I get the signal from the ground team to pull the trigger, fumble around on the side for a second until I can grab it. To my own surprise, I just pull the release and down we fall. I release a shriek (something I noticed only ever happens on these swings, I’m not much of a screamer usually). For a brief moment, my heart jumps in my throat but before my brain can catch up on what’s happening we’re already swinging out. Holy moly! 

Some places call it reverse bungy, others a slingshot. Both names are perfectly accurate for the VForce ride. 

I’m strapped onto a seat in a round metal cage. To even out my weight, my riding buddy this time is a blue dummy (some would say a perfect match..). 

Once secured, I watch the two massive bungy cords pull up the poles on either side of me like a slingshot (hence the name) and before I know it I’m sent flying.

The Rotorua reverse bungy launches me 45 meters into the sky. That’s higher than I was on the Swoop but I have no time noticing any of this since I’m launched from zero to about 80km/h | 49mph in probably less than a second and with 4.6 G-force.

The ride is over within seconds and for a while, I bounce and bobble around in my cage with my blue buddy before they get me down again. 

And no, I didn’t pass out on the ride, in case you’re wondering. I checked my video ;-) 

I’ll add this to the list for completion but I have to be honest with you, I chickened out of the bungy. Maybe one day I’ll find the courage to jump off a platform while attached to a rubber rope. Not today, though (My mum and Chris are more than happy to see me chicken out of that one, anyway).

At Rotorua Bungy, you jump off the ledge at a height of 43 m | 141ft. A cabin attached to a crane takes you up (the same where the Swoop is attached to) and once you’re properly secured, you’re good to jump.

Personal Verdict - my favourite rides

The Velocity Valley adrenaline park rides I personally liked the most were the Swoop and Freefall Xtreme. They were also the ones I was looking forward to the most and they did not disappoint. 

At the Swoop, the anticipation and adrenaline just keep increasing the higher up you go. The fact that you have to pull the release yourself just adds to the thrill.

And Freefall Xtreme...I had sore arms for days after just 1.5 minutes in there but you just can’t top that feeling of flying!

A close third was Agrojet. It’s pretty exhilarating to race through the parcours at such a high speed and around these narrow corners. I know that in New Zealand, these size jet boats are often used privately for hunting and fishing and I’d love to try it out on a real river!

Shweeb and VForce were heaps of fun, too. I personally think that Shweeb is more fun for families (and some very competitive couples) as they get to race against each other. I’m not a hugely competitive person. But I wouldn’t mind building a Shweeb in our backyard for cardio training.

And while VForce was awesome, it was over so quickly, plus I think I would’ve done more upside down turns if another, real, person my weight had been on the ride with me. 

So is Velocity Valley the Rotorua Adventure Park?

Heck yes! The whole time I spent at the park, my legs were wobbly and my heart was racing, either from adrenaline or bad cardio. I don’t think I’ve ever had an adrenaline rush that lasted for hours on end (that time at an American rollercoaster park comes close but it’s a different type of rush). 

How many rides do they have at Velocity Valley?

You can choose from six different rides at the Rotorua adventure park: Swoop, VForce (reverse bungy/slingshot), Freefall Xtreme, Shweeb Racer, Agrojet and the bungy. 

You can also pre-book a 2-hour session on the Freestyle Airbag but this is not part of the normal attractions and you’d have to bring your own bike. 

What are the packages?

If you want to do more than one ride at Velocity Valley (and you definitely should since you’re there anyway), there are two types of packages. One package type is for adults only while the other is for families. All packages discount the price of a single ride heavily. I’ll try to break it down for you:

Family packages

• Family packages let you share 6, 8 or 10 rides between your family

• You’re eligible for one of the family packages if you’re at least 1 adult with 1 child (17 years and under) or 2 adults and up to 4 children.

• Family packages are shareable within your family.

• At least 1 adult has to complete 1 ride, the rest of the rides can be used by the kids

• You can do a bungy jump but it will take 4 rides off your package. Better do the Swoop, it’s almost the same height and only takes 1 ride per person. 

Adult multi-ride packages

• Adults-only get to choose from a 2-ride, 4-ride or 4-ride plus bungy combo

• Multi-ride packages are not shareable with other people

• Kids can use these passes too, but you’re better off with a family pass

Age and height restrictions

Every ride at Velocity Valley Rotorua has its own restrictions in terms of height, weight and age which can be a little confusing. I tried to keep it as simple to as possible with this chart:

How much time will I need for all the rides?

If you want to do them all I’d suggest you take 2 - 3 hours. You can technically get through the rides faster if you go from one ride to the next without breaks and if they’re not too busy at the park. If you’re like me, though, you’ll like to take little breathers between the rides to calm your heart rate down and wait for your legs to stop wobbling before moving to the next adrenaline rush. 

Is it safe?

As safe as it can be. There was never a point where I felt unsafe, not even when I dangled some 40 meters above ground in a big bag. All activities in New Zealand need to adhere to strict Health & Safety rules to minimize risk, so you should be sweet as. 

Is Velocity Valley open in the rain?

Yes, Velocity Valley is an all-weather adventure park. New Zealand is famous for its 3-seasons-a-day weather and the saying goes that if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes. That being said, if it’s really pouring down all day and you really don’t want to go, your ticket will also be valid the next day or the day after. 

Is it worth purchasing the media package?

Totally! If you have your own GoPro that you can attach securely on your wrist, you might be fine without the package but I’d still go for it. You not only get proof of your bravery on video, but you can also take still images out of the videos in the most hilarious moments (like many of my pictures in this post). 

How to get to Velocity Valley Rotorua?

The Rotorua adventure park is located about a 10-minutes drive outside of Rotorua, in the Ngongotaha Valley. You can see the Rotorua bungy tower from SH5 on your right when coming from Auckland.

Velocity Valley Rotorua
1335 Paradise Valley Road
Ngongotahā
Rotorua 3040

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