Skydive New Zealand

[snowchainz 0]

Hey all -

I'm starting to plan a December trip to New Zealand and I'm looking for info on the skydiving scene around there. I'm from the U.S. and should have my B license, potentially C license, by that time.

Any suggestions on good places to jump or things I should consider? We haven't nailed down where we want to go on the islands yet, and I'm going to let DZ locations influence the itinerary.

[obelixtim 150]

Just google Skydive NZ and it will give you locations and websites of DZs. Some are tandem mills, but you can contact them to see what you can do.

Plenty of great scenery to check out from altitude.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[snowchainz 0]

Any one place you'd recommend above the rest? Fox Glacier looks pretty great.

[obelixtim 150]

At the commercial tandem DZs, awesome locations, but you might not get a lot of sport jumps. Most are worth a visit on their own anyway. That's why you need to do some research and make contacts now, you have plenty of time.

Typical NZ tour starts in the north and proceeds south, so you will come across most of them.

Nelson/Motueka is a good one, also Wellington do a lot of sport jumping, and I hear a bit about Skydiving Kiwis in the South Island, but never been there. I don't have any favourites.....and I have mates at most of the DZs.

Their websites will give you a better idea than I can. Check out their photo albums for an idea of the visuals.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[matthewncerda 2]

Wtih a B license, you'll be slightly hampered and as has been mentioned, the amount of sport skydiving is very limited, especially compared to the US.
On the north island, my favorites were Ballistic Blondes in Whangarei and Skydive Auckland in Parakai. There's a newer DZ south of Auckland (GoSkydive New Zealand) that I didn't go to. Wellington has a DZ that I missed out on, but it's much smaller apparently. I'd say avoid Taupo and the other DZ's are either tandem only or not worth the trip.
On the south island, Skydive Abel Tasman in Nelson was pretty ok, not super dope, but decent. NZONE in Queenstown, which used to require a D but when I was there I could have swore I heard them say B was sufficient, is pretty much a tandem mill, but the view is worth one solo. You won't be able to jump at Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Glenorchy, or Wanka, they all require at least a D license.
SKYDIVING KIWIS in Ashburton on the south island is really the only skydiving you should do in New Zealand. Despite beautiful views and some nice people at all the other DZs, Kiwis is the fun jumper DZ of New Zealand and has some very cool staff and a regular contingent of fun jumpers. Just my $.02

[AdD 1]

You need 500 jumps at a lot of them, not just the C.

Life is ez
On the dz
Every jumper's dream
3 rigs and an airstream