What would us humans be without a sense of adventure? Without that wonderful trait, curiosity, our lives would be a rather dull experience. Like the cat using up its nine lives, curiosity can get us into a lot of trouble, but without it, humankind might still be in the trees!

Hunters, divers and anglers are generally well endowed with this characteristic. It's what often keeps them going: to drop into a cold sea, struggle up over the next ridge or slog upriver in the hope of a better pool around the bend. But it not just the hunters and gatherers, everyone is an explorer in their own way. It might be nothing more than to go to an 'art' movie to explore a new type of entertainment or to take a different route to work to explore a forgotten superb. The 'real' explorers however, are the great adventurers who battled the elements to go where no person had ever gone before. Unfortunately there is not a lot of that sort of territory left.

Out in the hills or cruising over the ocean you can still experience a sense of 'being the first'. It is very unlikely that that is the case, but when your sounder registers a new reef or you find a hidden clearing back in the bush or you stumble across a large pool up an obscure sidecreek, you can't help but think that you might have found something as yet undiscovered. This is exploring and it is a wonderful experience. For it is in these places that a mighty stag may reside, a trophy trout may dwell, a monster cray may lurk or that award winning photograph may result. Or perhaps the satisfaction may simply come from finding your own secret place.

New Zealand is loaded with secret places. Most of the locals seem to know where they are but by no means have they plotted them all. Visiting 'explorers' can be assured of uncovering something that they can claim as a discovery of their own. Out in the hills and mountains, wading up backcountry streams, or aquaplaning around an underwater pinnacle, the chance of finding something special is always present. And once you have found a few you'll be hooked for life!

Any time you plan a trip into new country there is a heightened sense of anticipation as to what you might find. Plan a trip through Action Adventures and you'll be guaranteed to make some new discoveries. New Zealand is an adventurer's paradise.