Velocity Valley Rotorua: Is It Worth It? (2026)

I had a love-hate relationship with Rotorua for a long time. Five years ago I took a trip and managed to damage a stove at my Airbnb, break my camera at Polynesian Spa, and when I finally went to Kerosene Creek like everyone recommends, there was no water, just some white foam sitting there. After three days of that kind of mayhem, I swore I would never go back.

But I knew I was being silly. The city deserved another chance, and the adventure reels I kept seeing from Rotorua eventually wore me down. Plus, all the glowing velocity valley rotorua reviews I ran across made it impossible to ignore. So this year I gave in and decided to spend 15 days actually exploring everything it has to offer.

What I did not know until I started planning was that Rotorua is New Zealand’s second biggest adventure hub after Queenstown. And some of the activities here are on another level. Velocity Valley was at the top of our list, specifically Vertigo, their newest ride, which opened in 2023 and is unlike anything else in the country. Spoiler alert, it did not disappoint.

Table of Contents

• What Is Velocity Valley Rotorua
• The Rides: What to Expect
  • Vertigo
  • Freefall Xtreme
  • Agrojet
  • Shweeb
  • Swoop
• Which Ride Should You Do First
• Is the Combo Pass Worth It
• Tips Before You Go

What Is Velocity Valley Rotorua

Velocity Valley sits about 10 minutes north of Rotorua city centre, just off Paradise Valley Road. There is a big car park on site for cars, campervans and buses so no need to stress about where to leave the vehicle.

There are five rides in total, all sitting within 60 metres of each other, so you are not doing endless walking between activities. The range is genuinely wide, from pedal-powered pods that feel more like a fun race than an extreme sport, all the way up to a 43 metre freefall with nothing attached. You do not have to be an adrenaline junkie to enjoy it here. The trick is knowing which rides suit you and in what order to do them, which is exactly what we cover below

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The Rides: What to Expect

Vertigo

I will be honest, I do not have it in me to do this. A 43 metre freefall with no cord attached? No thank you.

Sagar, on the other hand, thrives for challenges like this and he was genuinely so excited about it.

Crazy, I know.

So here is how it works. They harness your whole body and take you up to the 43 metre platform. They actually attach you to a primary and secondary rope which releases when you drop, the helmet is there to protect your face from the rope during the fall, not just for comfort. Since I was filming everything, they let me come up to the platform with him. They even tie your hands so you do not wobble up there.

When they were preparing Sagar for the drop, I just could not believe this guy was so excited. In fact, he was giving me instructions on how to film it properly. The instructor even told me that most people go completely quiet once they are standing on the platform. Sagar was asking him to make sure he was camera facing.

You can see his drop here.

It is by far one of the craziest things I have ever seen. Sagar said it was the longest 4 seconds of his life. He screamed on the way down, realised he still had not hit the net, and screamed again.

If you end up doing this, let me know your experience.

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Freefall Xtreme

If you have not done a skydive yet and want a real taste of what it feels like, this is your best option in Rotorua. I did not know what to expect going in but man, that was fun.

I had zero control over my body the entire time. The wind hits you at 220kph in New Zealand’s only outdoor wind tunnel and the instructor basically guides the whole experience from below.

You can see it here.

What I did not realise until I was in it is how dry your mouth gets. I was screaming the entire time and the funny part is, I could not even hear my own scream. It is that loud. Just an insane experience from start to finish.

If you have not done skydiving yet, definitely try this first.

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Agrojet

This one is for the thrill seekers and it does not disappoint. The Agrojet in Rotorua is New Zealand’s fastest jet sprint boat and they take you through a purpose built obstacle course at 100kph, finishing with a 360 degree spin at the end that you do not see coming.

They do three runs around the course and each one just gets the adrenaline pumping more. The speed, the wind on your face, the whole rush of it.

So much fun.

You can see it here.

You basically just hold on tight. If you are someone who usually scares easily, this is actually a perfect one to start with, it does not require any effort from you but it guarantees the fun.

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Shweeb

Sagar and I did a race on this one. The Shweeb in Rotorua is actually the world’s only human powered monorail racetrack, you pedal in an aerodynamic pod suspended from a rail above you, three laps around the track, and whoever pedals hardest wins.

I dare you not to laugh the entire time. You have to pedal hard to feel the speed and while it is not physically demanding, your legs will definitely know they did something after three laps.

It is such good fun, especially if you go against someone.

Also, funny enough, it was a tie between Sagar and I.

Have a look at the video here.

Swoop

This is the one we did not get to and honestly, it might be the reason I go back to Rotorua again. The Swoop takes you up 40 metres in a body harness, face down, looking out over the Rotorua farmland and then you pull the release cord yourself.

You go from 0 to 130kph in one second on a giant swing. Up to three people can go together which is exactly why it looks so fun in every video I have seen.

Going as a group, all pulling the cord together, looks absolutely hilarious. It is the only ride at Velocity Valley that lets you share the experience side by side so if you are visiting with friends or family, this one is probably the move.

Which Ride Should You Do First

Any order works but if you are like me and prefer to get the hardest ones out of the way first, start with Vertigo or Swoop and work your way down from there.

Here is my honest take on each one and since I did not do Swoop personally, I have left that one unranked:

Vertigo is the hardest, full stop. Adrenaline 10/10. If you can do this one, everything else feels manageable after.

Agrojet is next, adrenaline around 7/10 but difficulty is only 3/10. All the thrill and none of the courage required.

Freefall Xtreme sits at a similar level, adrenaline 7/10, difficulty 3/10. Great one to do straight after Agrojet while you are still buzzing.

Shweeb is the easiest of the lot, difficulty 2/10 but do not let that fool you. The fun factor is easily 8/10, especially if you race someone.

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Is the Combo Pass Worth It

So it’s important to know that pricing is based on how many rides you want to do. A single ride starts from $65 and goes up to $399 for a 10 ride pass. The more you add, the better the value, the 4 ride pass at $195 is the most popular and saves you $65 compared to buying individually.

One thing worth knowing before you book, Vertigo counts as 3 passes on its own, so factor that in when deciding which pass to get.

Honestly, the combo pass makes so much sense. Imagine, you finish three laps on the Shweeb and your adrenaline is already going. Are you going to stop there? Probably not. Once you start, you want more. That is just how this place works.

I would say do at least two or three rides so you feel like you have properly experienced the park without overdoing it. Do not try to knock out all five in one go unless you genuinely have the stomach for it. Leave a little room to come back.

The savings also just make sense. The 4 pass saves you $65 compared to buying rides individually. If you are doing more than one ride anyway, the combo is the obvious call.

Book on Viator | Book on GetYourGuide

Tips Before You Go

Always check Velocity valley’s official website for the current opening hours and baseline rates first, then look at GetYourGuide, Viator, and Bookme for any deals before you commit to buying your tickets.

Wear comfortable clothes and avoid anything loose, it can become a problem on the faster rides. Try not to go straight after a big lunch either.

A sunny day makes the whole experience better, especially for the outdoor rides. That said, most rides run in the rain unless conditions are extreme so do not let a cloudy forecast put you off.

One last thing, New Zealand takes health and safety seriously and Velocity Valley is no exception. Regular safety checks are carried out across all rides so you genuinely just need to show up and have fun.

Velocity Valley surprised me more than I expected, especially coming back to Rotorua after that first disaster trip. If you are spending a few days in the city and want one afternoon that you will remember, this is it.

Go with someone if you can. Half the fun is watching each other do the things the other one refuses to.

If you are still planning your time in Rotorua, our full guide to things to do in Rotorua has everything else worth knowing.