New Zealand is one of the best destinations to try out paragliding as you can observe panoramic scenic views nurtured with diverse combinations of habitats and environs. There are several locations in New Zealand where you can get the chance to do paragliding such as Queenstown, Wanaka, Christchurch, Nelson and Auckland. Paragliding is an ultimate adventure you should at least try once in a lifetime.
During our road trip to South Island – New Zealand we took the opportunity to experience tandem paragliding in Queenstown with
GForce Paragliding, which is one of the most experienced and reputed paragliding companies in New Zealand with professional pilot guides, where you can get the best experience along with a breath-taking view.
Our Experience with GForce Paragliding
GForce Paragliding is located at the
top of the Gondola in Queenstown. Once we reached there, we followed the sign boards to GForce Paragliding.
Generally, their tandem paragliding will start from top of the Skyline Gondola and will give a spectacular view of Lake Wakatipu, mountains, forests and Queenstown itself before landing in Central Queenstown.
It is advisable to check the
GForce Paragliding website for their operation status, 30 minutes before the arrival at checkpoint as this activity can be changed depending on the changes in the weather conditions. If the booked session is cancelled for the given time you can call or e-mail GForce Paragliding to rebook or to make a refund.
Due to the windy and slight rainy condition on the day we visited, the Skyline Gondola take off point was closed and the guides from G Force Paragliding took us to the Coronet Peak to make the take off. From here also you can get a bird’s eye view of the Queenstown including forests, mountains waterways and cultivation fields.
Price for a Session
We booked from GForce Paragliding online and it was 438 NZD for two of us during February, 2019. This was an early-bird flight offer so the price was lesser than the normal tandem paragliding flight. Prices and starting hours can be changed with the time and you can check
GForce Paragliding website for any updates.
As we did not start from the take off point at the Skyline Gondola we did not need to buy the gondola pass. This is not included in the ticket so, if the weather conditions are stable you may need to purchase the gondola pass from the Skyline terminal building on the day of your flight. A return pass is issued if you want to come back up the gondola after your flight.
Things to Check Before you Go
If you wish to do paragliding in Queenstown, it is always better to check and do advance booking through the website or by giving a call, in order to save your time.
Make sure to get ready with wind proof warm jackets, gloves, sturdy shoes with ankle support to make the activity comfortable and safe.
This activity is highly weather dependant, therefore always check and verify with the guiding company regarding the status and the possibility at least 30 minutes earlier before arriving to the given location or check point (or else according to the specific instructions given by the guiding company).
Here We Go on Paragliding
We had booked the 9.00 a.m. flight slot. So we reached the check point office of GForce Paragliding at the top of the Gondola around 8.45 a.m. after calling them to verify the status. Since we had to go to the
Coronet Peak, the guides gave us a ride in their vehicle and it was a 25 minutes’ drive from the top of the Gondola to Coronet Peak.
Once we arrived at the Coronet Peak, pilot guides arranged the parachutes and gave us instructions on how the paragliding activity will be done while assisting us to put on the required gear. Since this was a tandem paragliding, each of us went with a separate pilot guide on a harness.
Take off point at the Coronet Peak is around 4000 feet high. To give it a start, as instructed by the guides we ran down the slope of the Coronet Peak, let the wing lift us off and sat down on the harness seat. It was a great gliding and then we were soaring through the skies of Queenstown. It gave a bird’s-eye view of Queenstown including mountain range, forests, water streams, cultivation lands, residential areas, etc….
After a smooth glide it was the time for a thrilling ride with roller coasting and somersaulting. This made me feel a little tingling in my stomach, hence I only tried one round of roller coasting and asked the guide to switch back to the smooth flight but Themiya was able to do the whole thrilling ride. If you do not like thrilling rides, the guides will not go for that and you can ask them to just do the smooth flight. Averagely the flight will last for 15 minutes and if you go on roller coasting and somersaulting you will come down sooner. Following are some pictures taken during our paragliding.
Finally we landed steadily on the valley area and then drove back the same way to the check point office at the top of the Gondola with the guides. You will need to reserve around 1 – 2 hours for this whole adventure, if you are planning this with other activities on the same day. We took the photos and videos taken from GoPro camera by the pilot guides after paying a small fee, to keep as a memory.
Check our video on paragliding, here.
Final Verdict
We hope you all enjoyed our paragliding experience in New Zealand. We would love to hear your experiences as well. Also, if you need further information, we are happy to help you. Please leave your comments below.
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