When you hear the words zipline tours and adventure, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t retirees. 93-year-old Lewis proves that age is no barrier when taking the leap on an adventurous outdoor activity with Rotorua Canopy Tours.

We still remember the day 93-year-old Lewis strolled into Rotorua Canopy Tours wearing a stylish tweed suit. He was one cool dude! Lewis and his 87 year-old sister, Shirley, had driven all the way from their Auckland rest home just to do our award winning Original Canopy Tour.

Photo: 93-year-old Lewis and his 87-year-old sister Shirley on the silver fern swing bridge

While Lewis and Shirley were keen for a challenging outdoor activity and a bit of adventure, there were a few nerves too. It didn’t take long for our awesome guides Shane and Steph to show them there was nothing to fear, after all safety is our number one priority here at Rotorua Canopy Tours. So, our two guides swapped Lewis’ classy hat for a helmet, harnessed them up and off they went.

Photo: Shirley and Lewis with awesome kiwi guides Steph and Shane ready for their ziplining adventure.

Our guides helped Lewis and Shirley the whole way through their journey and made sure they felt comfortable while on this incredible outdoor activity. Helped by the safety systems, their guides’ professionalism and the encouragement of their small group, Lewis and Shirley felt completely at ease by the time they had stepped off the first platform. Just like all of our awesome kiwi guides, Shane and Steph pride themselves on their ability to help people achieve beyond what they thought possible. They are experts at helping people who are a bit nervous - they will talk you through everything and even hold your hand on this outdoor activity if you need it.

Photo: Our guide Shane helping Shirley over the adventurous 'no hands' bridge.

Lewis and Shirley had an absolute blast soaring through the ancient native forest and exploring all the layers of the canopy on the outdoor activity. Lewis loved the rush of excitement every time he walked across the swing bridges or stepped off a platform to fly through the air. He was fearless by the end of the tour and took up every challenge our guides threw at him - he even managed to flip upside down on our final zipline and lean out over the edge of a swing bridge!

Photo: Fearless Lewis leaning off the bridge hands free!

Not everyone is as fearless as Lewis, over 20% of the people who come on tour have a fear of heights! But the great thing for those a little nervous about being so high off the ground is that they have a lot to gain from the outdoor activity. Our forest is a great place for conquering your fears once and for all!

Lewis just goes to show that anyone is capable of doing our Original Canopy Tour. We love being able to offer an outdoor activity that everyone can enjoy and create memories of a lifetime. We’ve taken thousands of customers into the forest aged 70+. In fact, we specialise in making people feel young again!

Photo: Lewis loved the excitement of flying through virgin native forest on this unforgettable outdoor activity.

At 93, Lewis is our oldest male customer so far and the oldest women who has been on tour is 92! This proves that you’re never too old and that age is definitely no barrier for our ziplining adventures.

For kids, our Canopy Tours are perfect for ages 6+. So, whether you’re 6 or 106, keep the adventure alive and take on the challenge of this outdoor activity - you’ll no doubt love being surrounded by the beautiful bird life and flying through our untouched native forest.

Don't just take our word for it, check our some of our customer reviews too:

“This is a great experience for a wide range of ages. I went with my grandsons, so ages 75 to 11. While being terrified it is a great experience and very professionally done. Safety was outstanding , well explained what we were doing and what to do. Great design and experience of NZ forest.” - Colin from Auckland  

“If you have a fear of heights and are umming and urring about it, do it. They really do care about your safety and make you feel comfortable the whole way through. Sit down and let your body move into it and if you can, let go! Such a good feeling/view/experience. Highly, highly recommended!” – Trip Advisor review from the-savvy-travel

“The guides were exceptionally supportive, and the navigating the forest wasn’t the physical challenge I’d expected. It was surprisingly easy, fun, and educational. I had a fantastic time, and it was completely out of my comfort zone. I felt a huge rush of excitement each time I stepped off a platform into empty air.” – Retiree Sharon Stuart from Rotorua

Check out other zipline and adventure activities in New Zealand.