Sky-high fun... The Ultimate Jump over Queenstown, New Zealand. (SUN)

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand -- Bungee jumping, sky diving, hang gliding, jet boating, sea kayaking, fishing, bird watching, hiking -- New Zealand has it all. This pint-sized country, barely the size of California, offers a plethora of activities for adventurers of all ages.

Here is a sampling of the most popular outdoor pursuits.

BUNGEE JUMPING: In 1986, New Zealander A.J. Hackett achieved fame with a bungee dive from the Eiffel Tower. Today, bungee jumping has become the quintessential adrenaline-pumping sport in New Zealand.

The region around Queenstown, South Island, boasts the world's most glamorous bungee locations. Hackett opened the first commercial operation in November 1988, on the historic suspension bridge 43 metres above the Kawarau River. This remains number one in popularity and presents the country's only splash-down option. Other favourites are the 69.8-metre-high Skippers Canyon Bridge, the 102-metre-high Pipeline Bridge and, brand-new, The Ledge, situated on Bob's Peak 400 metres above Queenstown.

TANDEM SKY DIVING: "The ultimate jump" is not for the faint of heart. You, together with a fully qualified instructor, fly to an altitude of 3,048 metres above the ground and then leap from the airplane. After free falling at a speed of more than 200 km per hour, the instructor operates a parachute and you both drift gently down to earth.

TRAMPING: New Zealand's wealth of national parks, forests, mountains, coastlines and glaciers offer some exhilarating tramping (hiking) opportunities. Hundreds of miles of marked tracks (paths) crisscross the countryside. An excellent network of more than 950 backcountry huts, maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC), minimizes the need for packing heavy camping gear.

The most popular and, therefore, the most crowded, tracks are the Milford, the Routeburn, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, the Tongariri Northern Circuit, the Kepler and Lake Waikaremoana. Local DOC offices offer advice and can help you plan excursions on less heavily trampled trails.

GLACIER WALKING: The Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, two of the fastest moving ice rivers in the world, tumble down the western flank of 3,753-metre-high Mount Cook, terminating less than 13 km from the ocean. Guided glacier walks provide access for people of almost all ability levels on terrain normally only available to mountaineers.

MOUNTAINEERING: At the other end of the spectrum, those in search of more heart-stopping adventures can choose a challenging three-day alpine crossing of the Mount Cook Range or even a guided ascent of Mount Cook itself.

4 TRACK ADVENTURES: Visitors in need of a respite from the sophisticated life of the big city might want to consider a four-wheel motorcycle (ATV) safari. 4 Track Adventures, located only 35 minutes northwest of downtown Auckland, offers one-, two- or three-hour guided tours on your own 300 cc quad bike.

SEA KAYAKING: At the Bay of Islands, less than four-hour's drive north of Auckland, Coastal Kayakers offers a half-day tour up Waitangi Estuary as far as spectacular Haruru Falls. Particularly exciting is weaving through the unusual mangrove forest lining the waterway. Thrill seekers negotiate their kayaks directly underneath the colossal cascade.

Other favourite locations include the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park and the Malborough and Milford sounds.

SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS: While swimming with dolphins is a popular summer activity throughout New Zealand, few areas boast the presence of these creatures all year round. In the warm waters of the Bay of Islands, near the tip top of North Island, several operators offer half-day Dolphin Encounter cruises.

Fullers Northland employs a water-jet powered catamaran for speedy access to the dolphins and maximum safety for the animals. An underwater microphone allows swimmers to listen to dolphin "talk" -- an amazing 32 different sounds have been identified.

BIRD WATCHING: Kapiti Island Nature Reserve, off the western coast of North Island just north of Wellington, offers a rare opportunity to observe species that are now extinct on the mainland. The island has been a protected wildlife sanctuary since 1897 and access is strictly controlled by the Department of Conservation. Birds most frequently seen include the bossy tui, the olive-green bellbird, the bold kaka (bush parrot), the hen-like weka and the red-crowned kakarika (parakeet).

The kiwi, the national bird of New Zealand, is possibly the most sought after by bird watchers. It is flightless, nocturnal and extremely elusive. Kapiti supports a population of about 1,000 spotted kiwis, a subspecies now extinct elsewhere in the country.

If you go:

Bungee Jumping: Prices start at $58. Contact A.J. Hackett Bungy at The Station, Corner of Camp and Shotover Sts., Queenstown, Ph: 03 442 7100 or visit www.AJHackett.com.

Tandem Sky Diving: Three-hour trips cost $160. P.O. Box 554, Queenstown, Ph: 021 325 961.

Hiking: To reserve a guided trek along the Milford Track, the Routeburn Walk and the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, contact the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Glacier Walking: Contact Alpine Guides Ltd. at P.O. Box 38, Fox Glacier, Ph: 03 751 0825 or 0800 111 600.

Mount Cook Trekking and Climbing: For guided ascents of Mount Cook and technical climbing courses, contact Alpine Recreation Ltd., P.O. Box 75, Lake Tekapo, Ph: 0064 3 680 6736.

4 Track Adventures: 4 Track Adventures offers all-terrain-vehicle safaris from one to five hours in length. Prices start at $55. Contact 4 Track Adventures Ltd. at P.O. Box 540, Kumeu, Auckland, Ph: 0800 4 TRACK.

Sea Kayaking: Coastal Kayakers, P.O. Box 325, Paihia, Bay of Islands, Ph: 09 402 8105, offers half-day guided sea kayak trips for $28 per person.

Swimming with Dolphins: Fullers Northland offers four-hour Dolphin Encounter cruises from Paihia and Russell in the Bay of Islands. The price is $55. Fullers at Maritime Building on the Waterfront in Paihia, Ph: 09 402 7421.

Bird Watching on Kapiti Island: Permits to visit Kapiti Island Nature Reserve may be obtained from the Department of Conservation, Te Papa Atawhai, Wellington Conservancy Office, P.O. Box 5086, Wellington.