What’s the best christmas gift to offer to a person who’s hooked to the thrill of adventure sport? Well, the gift of an adventure of course! Here are 12 fabulous gift ideas for the adventure thrill-seeker in Australia, from paintballing, to jet boating to sailing. All prices are listed in AUD.
1. Dangerous Sharks (Sydney Aquarium, $35)
Your friend will love the underwater aquarium at Darling Harbor, walking nose against nose with its 12,000 aquatic animals from 650 species. There’s the thrill of knowing that only a sheet of glass separates him from incredibly dangerous sharks.
2. Exciting Paintball Game (Melbourne, $49)
There are no excuses, no needless politeness, no hay bales or wooden pallets. This is a high-octane, themed paintball game set in incredible movie-set quality game zones. Want to pretend you are Lara Croft of Tomb Raider? Now you can.
3. Thrilling V8 Jet Boat Ride (Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, $60)
Ocean jet boating in an 8.5 liter V8 engine jet boat performing fish tail spins and power brake stops at 80 kilometers per hour is just the ticket. Add throbbing music to the mix and your adrenaline levels will remain high for hours after it’s over!
4. Luxury Speedboat Experience (Melbourne, $65)
Gift your friend a thrilling ride on a 22ft luxury speedboat. Let your friend experience the best of Melbourne cruising Port Philip Bay and the Yarra River, with a stop at the picturesque St Kilda. This adventure combines luxury, speed and the best views that money can buy.
5. Extreme Whale Watching (Fremantle, Perth, $70)
Your friend will love watching whales frolicking while the fast boat’s twin jets spit out 25 tons of water per minute, speeding at 75 KMPH. Let your friend experience the raw power of twin 440hp Yanmar Intercooled, Turbocharged Hamilton jet boat engines – it’s quite unforgettable.
6. Tandem Parasailing (Manly Wharf, Sydney, $70)
Gift your friend and yourself a tandem parasailing treat. You don’t need to have any prior experience. You’ll board the parasailing boat at Manly Wharf, get strapped into your harness and be gently winched 100 meters into the Sydney skies. Then you’ll be flying behind a fast boat for 10 minutes of thrilling adventure!
7. Harley Davidson Tour (Brisbane, $65)
You and your friend can gear up and get set on a two-bike 60-minute Harley Davidson motorcycle tour in and around Brisbane. Thrill in the power of the Harleys on a range of different terrains, taking corners, climbing up hilly roads and blasting through avenues.
8. White Water Kayaking Adventure (Yarra, Melbourne, $80)
If your friend is a water-adventure fan, gift him or her a thrilling white water kayaking adventure on the Yarra river. Once the brief training is over, your friend will experience the thrill of navigating over grade 1 and 2 rapids, hanging on for dear life.
9. Quad Biking Adventure (Port Stephens, $82.50)
Navigating a 4WD Quad Bike over the ups and downs of the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes at Port Stephens is an incredibly challenging adventure. This sport will take all your energy, your focus and your driving skills just to maintain your balance. On your adventure, you’ll see some fabulous things such as the largest shipwreck in Australia and real WWII defense lines.
10. America’s Cup Yacht Racing (Sydney Harbor, $84.50)
Join a crew on an actual America’s Cup yacht and participate in the thrilling race of a lifetime. 40 yachts race around the harbor every Wednesday, and sometimes two yachts race each other. Racing a multi-million dollar America’s Cup class racing yacht is an unforgettable experience.
11. Surfing Special (Sydney, $89)
Here’s a full day of surfing adventure for 2 people, you and your friend, with free transfers from Sydney CBD or the Eastern Suburbs. What’s more, you get a free beach BBQ thrown in as well, apart from 2 hour (each) lessons on surfing and surfing etiquette, followed by the surfing adventure of a lifetime.
12. Helicopter Scenic Flight (Geelong, $100.00)
Your friend will love this helicopter ride that’ll take him over the picturesque views of Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Barwon River and Lake Connewarre. That’s 7 minutes of uninterrupted beauty seen from a plushy seat in a Robinson R44 Helicopter. It’s a true photographer’s delight. Make sure he takes his camera along.
Written by Rabby of the Australian men’s gifts website Adrenaline.