Walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, North Island New Zealand
HOW LONG
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7-9 hours
THE EXPERIENCE
Rated the finest one-day walk in New Zealand, the Tongariro Crossing is a stern lesson in geology, a trek through an open wound in the earth's crust. The trail crosses the edge of Tongariro National Park in the shadow of several active volcanoes, one of which, Mount Ruapehu, erupted in 2007 and more spectacularly in 1995, spoiling a promising ski season. The formations along the trail are straight from the vulcanologist's textbook – exquisitely fused rocks, turquoise lakes, lava bombs, scoria piles and lava flows. Take a guided walk and be prepared for wild weather and a tough slog on the 19.4 kilometre track.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Adrift Guided Outdoor Adventures, from $NZ255, see adriftnz.co.nz
Hike the Sass de Putia Circuit, Dolomites, Italy
HOW LONG
5-8 hours
THE EXPERIENCE
This circuit of the northernmost peak of the Odle Group is just about the best reason for having feet. After an easy stroll from Passo delle Erbe the path ascends a rocky track to Forcella Putia. Beyond the alpine pastures dotted with pine hay sheds the trail disappears over a ridge to a rifugio, one of the joys of hiking the Dolomites. The menu here is typical - dumpling soup, sausages with buttery potato, spaghetti bolognese, hot chocolate and apple strudel. With wings on your legs and a song in your heart, the rest of the walk is a doddle.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Intermediate grade walk, no guide required, but a car is to get to the starting point at Passo delle Erbe.
Motorcycle ride up Khardung-la, Ladakh, India
HOW LONG
4-6 hours
THE EXPERIENCE
At 5602 metres the pass at Khardung-la is the world's highest motorable road. Barely 40 kilometres from Leh, capital of Ladakh, the road climbs over 2,000 metres on a narrow, bone-rattling road with no crash barriers and a sheer drop off the edge. Adding to the excitement, your steed is a 500cc Royal Enfield. One cylinder, four upside-down gears, no tachometer. A dinosaur from a departed industrial era, yet kick it to life and it thumps like a living, beating heart. Stop among snow drifts at the top for a cup of spicy masala chai and mind-bending views over the Karakoram Range and the Himalayas to the south.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Ladahk Bike Rental, INR1800 per day, see ladakhbikerental.com
Birdwatching, Tiritiri Matangi Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand
HOW LONG
8 hours
THE EXPERIENCE
Once cleared for sheep pastures, in the 1970s the government turned this 220-hectare island into a refuge for endangered bird species. All predators were eliminated, volunteers planted 270,000 trees and threatened species relocated here and it's been a squawking, chirping success. One of its iconic species is the takahe, largest living member of the rail family, once believed to be extinct. Around 90 bird species have been observed on or around the island. The ferry ride from Auckland takes just over an hour and volunteers conduct guided walks.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
8-10 hours
THE EXPERIENCE
A 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland, Waiheke is the city's castaway island, a green, slow-moving, sea-hewn paradise where the air makes even Auckland's look soiled, where the beaches are trimmed with pohutukawa trees and traffic lights don't exist. Among its essential lifestyle ingredients are a boutique coffee roaster, a spa, olive groves, several serious wineries and a stellar dining scene. The Explorer hop-on hop-off bus knits it all together, the villages, beaches and the weekly Ostend Market, a gathering place for the artists, food producers, weavers, calligraphers and disparate tribes that call the island home.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Hop-on, hop-off bus departs the ferry terminal every 30 minutes from 9.50am daily, to the last drop-off at the ferry terminal at 7.15pm. NZ$55 includes return ferry from Auckland, see fullers.co.nz
Driving the Amalfi Coast at the wheel of a Ferrari
HOW LONG
9 hours
THE EXPERIENCE
Seeing Positano, Maiori, Amalfi and the other gelato-coloured villages that cling to the bare rock faces of the Amalfi Coast flash by from the cockpit of a Ferrari is one of the ultimate hedonistic experiences. A pose perhaps, but in a country that goes in for extravagant gestures, que bella. The noise is sensational. Flick back a cog on the corners, apply foot to accelerator and the muted gargle changes to a deep throated growl as the vehicle tames the curve with surgical precision. The F430 Spider F1 and California are included, other models including the 599 GTB Fiorano F1 cost extra.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
From €1800. See yourprivateitaly.com
