Disclaimer: Due to a certain amount of happenstance and some familial connections, I didn’t pay for this activity. Once again, nothing to do with this blog and all opinions are my own!

Even though I’ve been in Queenstown, New Zealand, the supposed Adrenaline Rush Capital of the World, for three weeks, I’ve managed to resist lobbing myself out of an airplane. Given my total fear of heights and even more total lack of money, this was easy. However, it would seem a shame to spend time in Queenstown without doing something totally ridiculous. Luckily, we have friends in powerful places and managed to score a ride on the Shotover Jet. (This is actually a boat and not an airplane in case you’re wondering how I got over the total fear of heights. And the Shotover is a river, thankfully, so no one is being shot over anything, in case you were concerned.)

Anyway, Jetboats are a very New Zealand thing. In a nutshell, they are boats that can go very, VERY fast on very, VERY little water. Like, 10 centimeters or so. (Don’t ask me how many inches that is. Go look it up for yourself if you must.) They’re able to do this through some complicated process involving sucking up water and jetting it out again. Obviously, I should have made Macky write this section of the post since I clearly have no idea what I’m talking about.

I was a little dubious about this whole situation, because it kind of looked like a roller coaster on water and I’ve always found roller coasters to be positively painful in a whiplashy-headachey kind of way. But I was willing to give it a go. Here we are, all suited up in what really seem to be waterproof graduation gowns. Appropriate, since I happened to be in New Zealand for my college graduation.

And the result? TOTAL COMPLETE AWESOMENESS. Definitely the most fun anyone has ever had in a graduation gown. Jet boats, it turns out, feel nothing like roller coasters. It’s like riding on a cushy cloud, specifically a cloud that is zooming around at 80km/hour and narrowing missing sheer rock walls. It is pure, unadulterated fun and I would totally do it again.

First off, the Shotover canyon is GORGEOUS and if you’re in Queenstown you’ll want to make your way out to see it at some point or another. Think beautiful gray rock set off against gushing whitewater with a turquoise hue. It’s just not the kind of place you see everyday.

Second, the Shotover Jet is just silly fun which is basically what Queenstown is all about. Just because you’re not into the terror factor of the 130m–whatever bungee jump, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the adrenaline rush in New Zealand’s Adventure Capital. In fact, I would argue that the Jet gives you a lot more bang for your buck than the 200 dollar eight second bungee jump, but hey, I’m biased.

Here’s another photo of us looking totally awkward and wet at the end of our run, because what is silly fun without awkward photos to prove it?

What do you think? Would you enjoy a jetboat ride? Share your thoughts below!