With his backside almost touching the ground, Andrew Louis pretends he's a racing driver.

James Russell is amazed during a trip to Queenstown to discover that since he last grasped poles, Kiwi skifields have lifted their game higher than the Matterhorn.

From castles to quaint ski villages, here's our list of places around the world where you'll find communities that make the most of the colours of the rainbow.

Andrew Louis gets a taste of life as a superhero with the help of a water-propelled jet pack.

A Rotorua couple's retreat is full of surprises, finds Rebecca Barry Hill.

Dave Watts and Chris Gill pick their favourite resorts in the US and Canada for beginners, experts and those in between.

Michael Brown and his family test-drive some of the city's 21st century attractions.

Kelly Lynch outlines what's happening at the largest ski resorts around the country.

Giovanna Dell'orto achieves a long-held goal of conquering a three-day Grand Canyon trail.

Lions and cheetahs roar and hippos bellow while Michele Crawshaw and her son try to sleep just metres away.

Paul Charman spent last week in the Auckland Islands, where only a few people get to go. DOC, the Navy and universities send people down a few times a year, while a few specialist technicians preform tasks such as eradicating pests, or fixing-up heritage buildings. Common mortals seeking a sub-Antarctic adventure must shell-out for a ticket aboard one of the few eco-tourist boats which ply the Southern Ocean.

Rosalie France explores National Park without snow.

Catherine Smith checks out waterfront activities celebrating the Volvo Ocean Race.

Twenty-six years ago, Nicholas Jones' father tested his youthful stamina on the mountainsides of Nepal. Recently, he returned to the roof of the world with his sons to relive his trekking adventure.

A year-long global ed-venture (education adventure) is giving a mother and her young son a year of discovery they will never forget.

Lace up your hiking boots and discover north-east Spain by foot. P.K. Stowers pays homage to Catalonia.

New cruise line's winning formula puts creatures before home comforts, write Anne Z Cooke and Steve Haggerty.

The Motu Trails are a dream for nature lovers and suitable for first-timers and old hands.

Smiles, spinnakers and hangovers prevail in the world's friendliest yacht race, writes Ian Lloyd Neubauer.

Leah McLennan looks at what's big and what's new on the Otago skifields.

Ian Henderson relished the chance to venture beyond the world of safe, scheduled travel. His wife was not so sure...

Paul Abercrombie gets to grips with Venice's watery warrens during a once-in-a-lifetime rowing lesson.

Head over heels for NSW waves, Duncan Gillies feels the fear but does it anyway.

A bird's eye view is your reward when you take to the skies above Waiheke, discovers Helen van Berkel.

Raising your children on a sailing boat has its dangers, but seafaring parents claim the benefits are vast.

Dionne Christian joins tourists on the Breeze for a trip back into Auckland's coastal trading history.

Sarah Lawrence and her teenage son have a wheely good time in Central Otago.

Elisabeth Easther goes in search of animal encounters in the untamed central North Island.

An adventure holiday in the Colombian forest is an exhilarating experience, writes Christopher Adams, as he reflects on a few bumps and bruises.