Vertigo at Velocity Valley, New Zealand: A Petrifyingly Awesome 43-Metre Drop
18th March 2026 - New Experience Number 13.
This was petrifyingly awesome.
You know when you do something that massively scares you, and then when it’s over you’re absolutely buzzing with energy? This was one of those moments.
New Zealand is often considered the adventure capital of the world, famous for bungy jumps, jet boating experiences, zip lines, and luges to name a few. There’s no shortage of activities that will get your heart racing and your nerves jangling – including a vertical drop experience called Vertigo
And yes, of course I gave it a go as one of my 52 new things in the year.
Velocity Valley
We were staying in Rotorua for a few nights during our New Zealand road trip.
The previous day I’d taken the Other Half to Velocity Valley to have a go on the Shweeb racers.
While we were there I’d spotted Vertigo. A ‘ride’ where, to put it simply, you drop into a net. Sounds easy right? Well, maybe not so much when you discover the drop is actually 43 metres of freefall.
Overthinking things
If a new experience is expensive, I’ll often overthink whether it’s worth it.
If a new experience seems particularly scary, I’ll often overthink whether I really want to do it.
I’ve learnt that usually if I have thought about it several times, it means I do want to try the new thing.
There have been occasions where I’ve thought about it for too long and missed the opportunity to give something a go, so now if an idea has floated around in my mind a couple of times, I take it as a sign to do it. No regrets and all that.
I overthought trying Vertigo. Which is why I didn’t book to do it whilst we were there trying the Shweebs. It was quite expensive, and it was a bit of a ridiculous thing to try. But, it kept niggling at the back of my brain.
As we were camping close to Velocity Valley, and the Other Half had to do some work the next morning, I decided this was my chance to try something that was absolutely going to give my adrenaline a jolt.
Signing up
We arrived at Velocity Valley on a weekday morning outside of the school holidays and it was quiet. There didn’t seem to be anyone else there, which was perfect – no queues, and little time to back out.
I took a deep breath and went to reception. A super friendly girl welcomed me to the park, and signed me up to take the drop.
I just had time for a final nervous wee before the Vertigo staff came for me. There was no hanging around or waiting, which was perfect because it didn’t give me time to let what I was about to do really sink in, and that definitely kept the nerves at bay.
Getting kitted out
The two guys who were running Vertigo on my visit were absolutely brilliant. There was quite a bit of safety kit for me to wear, and whilst they were getting me into my harness they distracted my brain from the ridiculous thing I was about to do by asking where I was from, and then asking if it was the place Yorkshire puddings come from!
As well as a harness, they gave me sleeves to cover my arms which I then had to put into some sort of furry sheepskin pouch. To top off the fetching look, they put what looked like an American football helmet over my head.
The safety gear was reassuring, but the overall outfit did absolutely nothing to convince me that this was a sensible idea.
I was ready to go. Or at least, I was now physically prepared, even if mentally I was keeping a lot of questions about my sanity at bay.
Going up
I felt quite vulnerable as I stepped into the cherry picker. Being trussed up in all the safety gear significantly reduced my mobility, but it also meant I wouldn’t be flailing around on the way down.
Rising up in the cage, the valley opened up below me. I could just make out our campervan in the car park where the Other Half was obliviously working away whilst I was reminding myself what it feels like to be alive.
The countdown
We reached the top. There was no going back. Actually that’s not true. If I had changed my mind and really didn’t want to do it, they would have taken me back down the way we’d come up.
Still in the cage, I sat back into the harness which was clipped to a bar on the top, and lifted my feet off the ground. It was very reassuring to feel it securely holding me. Not that it would be holding me for long.
Opening the gate in the cage, I was still clipped on as I was pushed out and into position over the net below. Not that I could see it at this point. I was very much in the hands of the lovely member of staff. There was nothing between me and the webbed net 43 metres down.
With all that safety gear I couldn’t really move my head to look down. Oh hell. What was I about to do.
Offering me a surprise drop or a countdown, I opted for the latter. Blimey, writing this up is taking me right back to the moment and making me feel nervous all over again!
After a reassuring number of safety checks, and some deep breathing Wim Hof would be proud of, the count was on.
Three. Two.
This was it.
One….
The drop
My eyes were open, but everything rushed past in a blur.
My heart pounded, my stomach felt like it knotted itself into a tangled mess, and I’m pretty sure every fibre of my being tensed itself.
Falling fast, I couldn’t move. I was like a drop falling from a tap. The only way was down.
Usually if you feel yourself fall, your body takes over and you might windmill your arms to try and keep yourself upright. There was nothing I could do. I was fastened up in the safety gear and at the mercy of that old friend I don’t think about on the day to day – gravity.
I hadn’t meant to scream. It just kind of came out of me. Much to the amusement of the staff who said I must have broken the sound barrier.
I knew the net was there. I knew it was coming, but I had no idea when.
It was only a 4 second drop, but it felt like forever waiting for the sweet relief of landing.
Eventually, capturing me in a mesh of a hug, I fell into the net.
Oh. My. God. I’d Done it!
Hands still in the pouch and harness still on, I was incapable of getting up myself, and lay laughing in the net until the staff came to help me.
What a rush. And what a humble reminder that even though I’d done something that seemed phenomenally epic, I still needed help to get up.
I couldn’t quite believe I’d done it. I was so chuffed with myself. Every single one of my senses had been pushed to high alert. And I’d survived. Of course I’d survived, this was a professionally run attraction. But what a reminder of being alive. I felt like I could take on the world and do anything.
It’s good to give the nerves a workout
I love trying new things that are a big step out of my comfort zone, sometimes they just happen to involve falling like a stone into a suspended net. They are an awesome reminder that you CAN do big things.
Through trying 52 new things a year, I’ve learnt that confidence often comes from action. Sometimes you have to do the thing before you discover you’re capable of it.
Different things scare different people. Perhaps it’s public speaking, facing a phobia or throwing yourself 43 metres into a net. Whatever it is, when you try something that gets your nerves racing, there can be some pretty good stuff waiting on the other side.
I’ve also discovered that if something genuinely interests you and keeps popping into your head, it’s worth paying attention to it. Are you putting it off because you don’t want to do it, or because you’re nervous about doing it?
I hesitated booking Vertigo, but I’m glad I didn’t overthink it long enough to talk myself out of it. I didn’t suddenly overcome my fear; I just decided I’d do it anyway, even if it meant letting out the loudest scream of my life.
Want To Try Vertigo Yourself?
- If you want to experience the nerves of waiting for a free fall drop on Vertigo, you’ll need to visit Velocity Valley which is located in Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand.
Cost Of Experience
- Velocity Valley works on passes.
- Vertigo costs $NZ 175 per person which roughly converted to £74
- Most activities at Velocity Valley require one pass per person, however Vertigo required 3 on our visit.
- The more passes you buy, the cheaper it generally is.
Recommendations
- Book in advance. We went on a quiet day and didn’t have to queue. However, if you know you want to try Vertigo it’s definitely worth booking to secure your spot.
- Listen to the instructors. Follow their safety briefing and advice and you’ll have a uniquely brilliant experience.
- Don’t forget your camera. Obviously you can’t get any pictures on the way down, but you might want to capture some before and after shots.
- Have fun! Let me know if you give it a go and how you get on.
