A collection of outdoor activities that you might consider, or perhaps never thought of doing. Or maybe didn’t know how to get started.
CORANZ does not promote any one chosen recreational activity above any another, so take your pick:
If you have a favourite activity you think would appeal to others, please send us details to info@coranz.org.nz
- Do This Tonight: Step Outside for the Eclipse
Tonight, New Zealanders have a simple option. Step outside. A total lunar eclipse - often called a “blood moon” - will be visible across much of the country, weather permitting. No special equipment is required. No tickets. … Continue reading - SuperAgers and the Outdoor Advantage
The aging brain can regenerate. That is the central finding of new research into so-called “SuperAgers” - people in their 80s and 90s who retain exceptional memory and mental sharpness. Scientists found that these individuals produce significantly … Continue reading - Boots, Barefoot or Trail Shoes? Matching Footwear to the Terrain
Footwear trends come and go. Minimalist.Max-cushion.Barefoot.Carbon-plated. Marketing language changes quickly. Terrain does not. Outdoor recreation in New Zealand spans riverbeds, alpine scree, muddy bush tracks, coastal sand and rocky headlands. No single shoe excels in all of … Continue reading - Tight Budgets Don’t Cancel Summer - They Change It
Recent reporting shows many New Zealand households are feeling the squeeze. Utility bills are rising. Shopping trips are fewer. Discretionary spending is tightening. When budgets compress, holidays are often the first thing reconsidered. But “holiday” does not … Continue reading - Thinking of Trying Gold Prospecting?
When people think of outdoor recreation in New Zealand, they tend to picture fishing rods, tramping boots or kayaks. But there is another activity quietly experiencing a revival - gold prospecting. Not industrial mining.Not large-scale extraction. Simply … Continue reading - Confidence Is Built, Not Repeated
CORANZ Commentary Scroll through social media and you will find phrases promising transformation: “I am strong.”“I choose happiness.”“I am unstoppable.” Positive affirmations are attractive because they suggest change can begin with repetition. Recent research suggests the effect … Continue reading - Adults Need to Play Too - The Outdoors Already Knows That
Somewhere between childhood and midlife, play becomes something we apologise for. We replace spontaneity with busyness. We trade imagination for obligation. Recent research suggests this is not progress. Adults who engage in playful activity cope better with … Continue reading - There Is No Shortcut: Outdoor Recreation Still Beats Diet Fads
Guest Post by Charles Every decade seems to produce a new promise. Low carb.Keto.Paleo.Intermittent fasting. The names change. The language modernises. The promise remains the same: improved health with minimal disruption. Recent medical commentary has again reminded … Continue reading - The Sound of Summer Belongs to the Bush
Step into lowland bush or sit quietly beside a river in February and you will hear it before you see anything move. That high, sustained buzz - sometimes gentle, sometimes overwhelming - is the unmistakable soundtrack of … Continue reading - Your 40s Feel Harder
Maybe The Outdoors Is Part of the Answer. Guest Post by Dave Rhodes A recent RNZ article here suggests what many already suspect: the 40s can feel more exhausting than the 20s - not because we are … Continue reading - 2026: A Year of Movement, Not Noise
2026 is described in some traditions as the Year of the Fire Horse - associated with energy, momentum, and forward movement. For outdoor recreation, optimism need not mean bigger, faster, or further. It can mean something quieter: … Continue reading - Recreational Boating (Getting Started)
Recreational boating in New Zealand covers a wide range of everyday use of small boats on coastal and inland waters - from short trips in sheltered harbours to quiet days on lakes and rivers. It includes both … Continue reading - Swimming, Survival, and the Skills We No Longer Assume
A recent Stuff article here highlights a campaign to teach 10,000 children safe swimming and water-survival skills over summer. It’s a positive story. Few would argue against the value of children learning how to float, cope with … Continue reading - Why Some Activities Take Off
And What Outdoor Recreation Can Learn From time to time, a new activity appears that grows far faster than anyone expects. It doesn’t arrive with a grand strategy or a government programme behind it. It spreads because … Continue reading - River & Lake Swimming: Confidence, Care and Connection
Ready to get a little closer to the water? If you’ve ever sat beside a river with a cup of tea, cooked a barbecue on a lakeshore, or watched children throw stones into still water, you’ve already … Continue reading - Take the Barbecue Outside
You don’t need a new hobby, expensive gear, or a burst of fitness to get outdoors. Sometimes all it takes is moving something familiar out of the backyard and into a better place. A barbecue is about … Continue reading - Stone Skimming
You may not have heard stone skimming described as an activity, but most New Zealanders have done it at some point - usually without thinking of it as anything more than a moment by the water. Stone … Continue reading - Sheltered-Water Paddling
Sheltered-water paddling is the use of kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards in calm, protected water such as harbours, estuaries, lakes, lagoons, slow rivers, and sheltered bays. The focus is on steady movement and exploration, not speed, surf, or … Continue reading - Sketching Outdoors
Sketching outdoors is the practice of drawing places, objects, people, or scenes on location, using simple materials such as pencil, pen, or watercolour. In New Zealand it is commonly done in parks, reserves, along waterfronts, in towns, … Continue reading - Camping & Caravanning (Including Freedom Camping)
Camping and caravanning in New Zealand involve staying overnight outdoors using tents, campervans, caravans, or self-contained vehicles. This includes campgrounds, DOC sites, and - where permitted - freedom camping, which allows people to stay temporarily in public … Continue reading - Horse Trekking (Recreational Riding)
Horse trekking is recreational riding at a walking or steady pace, using formed tracks, open country, river flats, beaches, and designated routes. In New Zealand it is commonly practised as a leisure activity, focused on time outdoors … Continue reading - Using Fitness Watches & Tracking Devices Outdoors
Fitness watches and tracking devices are tools some people use to record time, distance, location, or movement during outdoor activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, or paddling. In New Zealand they are commonly worn during everyday recreation … Continue reading - Outdoor Swimming (Rivers & Sheltered Beaches)
Outdoor swimming is the practice of swimming for enjoyment in natural water - rivers, swimming holes, lakes, and sheltered coastal beaches - rather than in pools or competitive settings. In New Zealand, outdoor swimming is a long-standing, … Continue reading - Beach Wandering & Rock Pooling
Beach wandering and rock pooling is the exploration of coastal margins at walking pace, focusing on shoreline features, rock platforms, pools, shells, seaweed, and marine life revealed by the tide. In New Zealand, this is one of … Continue reading - Picnics & Public Barbecues
Picnics and public barbecues are a form of outdoor recreation centred on shared meals in public places. In New Zealand they are commonly supported by purpose-built infrastructure - tables, shelters, toilets, and barbecues - provided in parks, … Continue reading - Bird Watching
Bird watching is the practice of observing birds in their natural surroundings, using sight, sound, and patience rather than speed or distance. In New Zealand it is commonly done outdoors in public spaces - parks, reserves, coastlines, … Continue reading - Tai Chi (Outdoor Practice)
Tai chi is a slow, controlled movement practice that combines balance, posture, breathing, and awareness. In New Zealand it is commonly practised outdoors, using public parks, reserves, waterfronts, and town green spaces rather than purpose-built facilities. For … Continue reading - Walking (Short & Medium Walks)
Walking, in this context, means short to medium walks that require little preparation beyond turning up and moving at a comfortable pace. These are walks done for enjoyment, exercise, observation, or time outdoors - not for distance, … Continue reading - Geocaching (GPS Treasure Hunts)
Geocaching is a recreational activity where people use a GPS-enabled device - usually a smartphone - to locate small, hidden containers placed in public spaces. Each “cache” has recorded coordinates and is typically found along tracks, reserves, … Continue reading - Road Cycling on Formed Routes
Road cycling on formed routes is the use of sealed roads, shared paths, and waterfront or park-edge routes for recreation, exercise, and simple movement. In New Zealand it often takes place close to where people live - … Continue reading - Outdoor Photography
Outdoor photography is the practice of using public spaces to observe, record, and interpret landscapes, wildlife, weather, and human presence through a camera or phone. In New Zealand it commonly involves short walks, roadside stops, coastal margins, … Continue reading - Freshwater Fishing (Riverbanks & Lakeshores)
Freshwater fishing in New Zealand often begins at the water’s edge: from a riverbank, bridge, jetty, or lakeshore. It is usually done with simple tackle - a rod, line, hook, and bait or lure - and does … Continue reading