Treetop Challenge - image taken by writer
Treetop adventures are an ideal way to experience nature and keep older children occupied during the weekends or school holidays. We have visited many treetop adventure courses over the years and found them to be the perfect mixture of physical and mental challenges, as well as being an especially good bonding experience for boys and dads.
Here is my list of top ten treetop adventures located mostly in Australia, but also some of our favorites from overseas. Each one is located in a stunning forest setting which provides a unique opportunity to appreciate the great outdoors.
1. Otway Fly Treetop Adventures - Victoria
This is a great spot to stop off along The Great Ocean Road at Weeaproinah. The pristine forests of the Otway Ranges are home to the world's
longest Treetop Walkway and has an excellent Zipline Eco-Tour.
2. Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures - NSW
Located an hour from Wollongong, The Illawarra Fly is a 1500 metre treetop walk which has great views across the Pacific Ocean and rolling hills of the Jamberoo Valley. They also offer the
highest zipline tours in Australia for those brave enough to take to the trees.
Climbing to the top - image taken by writer
This canopy adventure is part of Thunderbird Park, at Mt Tamborine in Queensland's Gold Coast hinterland. For those not scared of heights, the eleven metre high "skyfall" is a definite adrenalin rush on this longest adventure ropes course in Australia.
4. Trees Adventure - Victoria
Here you can zip through the trees and zoom along flying foxes within close proximity to Melbourne. There are 65 different courses to choose from which is a pretty fun way to spend the day.
5. Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours - Queensland
This is the best place to get a bird's eye view of The Great Barrier Reef. This treetop course is set up in The Daintree Cape Tribulation National Park of Far North Queensland, with the highlight being the Human Hamster Wheel.
Sit in the rainforest - image taken by writer
This eco-friendly adventure park is located 25 minutes' drive from Nadi Airport. There are stunning waterfalls and creeks flowing right beneath the course which follows the Sleeping Giant mountain range.
7. Bali Treetop Adventure Park - Indonesia
It is really something special to zoom from tree to tree across Bali Botanic Gardens, in the Bedugul highlands. When we visited, it was surprisingly cold and the ziplines were surrounded by clouds, which added to the mystery of this magical mountain forest. This high ropes/zipline course is highly recommended.
www.balitreetop.com
If you are looking for treetop adventures across South East Asia, then Flight of the Gibbons is the place to go - they operate out of multiple locations where you can have an authentic treetop experience in some unforgettable forests.
9. Acrobranch - South Africa
Acrobranch are a well organised chain of treetop adventure courses across South Africa and well worth visiting if you happen to be passing through. There is also a focus on group activities and team building exercises.
10. Ziptrek Ecoadventure - New Zealand
Ziptrek are another of our family favorite treetop adventure courses. This course is the world's
steepest zipline and takes off from the top of
Queenstown's Skyline Gondola. Where it then zips from tree to tree between huge Douglas Fir trees down the mountain overlooking Lake Wakatipu. This adventure has serious wow factor.
Have you or your family experienced any of these treetop adventures? There are many more dotted around the globe - please add any of your favorites to the comment section below.
