Canyoning in January

The Blue Mountains' sandstone plateau, 1.5 hours west of Sydney, is cut by narrow slot canyons that are genuinely world-class — dark, claustrophobic passages barely wide enough to squeeze through, with filtered light coming from 30m above. Claustral Canyon is the most celebrated: a full-day technical descent involving abseils, swims, and a subterranean section where the only light is what you bring. Empress Canyon and Grand Canyon (the accessible version) offer shorter routes. These canyons are a well-kept Australian secret — you can do a serious canyon experience as a day trip from one of the world's great cities.

Queenstown's adventure infrastructure has been built around world-class terrain — the schist gorges and glacier-carved valleys surrounding the town offer canyoning of genuine technical quality, not just commercial spectacle. The Routeburn and Shotover catchments have multiple distinct canyon routes across grades, and operators here enforce the same safety rigor as the bungee and rafting companies that put Queenstown on the map. In summer (November-March) the combination of long days, temperate water, and the wider adventure circuit makes it one of the world's best places to string together multiple experiences.