TRAVEL WATCH: OCTOBER 18, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 15

ALSO IN TIME

Love Me Tender, Love Me Suite--Asian Style Many love hotels cater to any demand by offering clean, well-maintained and well-appointed rooms. Choose carefully and you, the budget traveler, have unearthed a bargain Detour Don't let the rubber suit and body harness intimidate you: canyoning, the hottest new sport in New Zealand, is actually quite simple--and plenty of fun Off the Shelf For such a small volume, Worlds to Imagine bites off a big chunk of the globe Hot Deal Kuala Lumpur is flush with hotel bargains these days

Detour

Don't let the rubber suit and body harness intimidate you: canyoning, the hottest new sport in New Zealand, is actually quite simple--and plenty of fun. It involves following a stream from the top of a canyon to the bottom by jumping off low cliffs, abseiling over waterfalls and zipping down natural rock waterslides. To have the time of your life, all you need is an adventurous spirit and expert guidance. Of course, enjoyment increases exponentially with your level of fitness. You can jump right in the next time you're in Auckland: less than an hour from New Zealand's busiest city is the beautiful park land of Waitakere. This natural forest stretches all the way out to the surf of the Tasman Sea. It's filled with fern, palm and tea trees and is home to the scenic Blue Canyon. Guide Julien Senemaud has transplanted himself and the sport from France to the woods of Auckland, where he pioneered the descent of the canyon. Senemaud's company, Canyonz (64-9) 534-1468 or canyonz@xtra.co.nz, provides instruction, harnesses, helmets, wetsuits and a delicious four-course lunch, all for $85. While the gear list sounds daunting, Senemaud says that most people find the hike to the top of the canyon the most tiring part of the trip. From there it is a 150-m journey down the canyon, with several rock pools along the way. Between the pools are low cliffs, requiring canyoners to jump off the ledge and into the pool below. The buoyancy of the wetsuit brings you bobbing back up to the surface. The biggest drop is 8 m, but it's near the end of the descent, so you have time to build up your confidence. And if you find any obstacles too daunting, you can always walk or abseil around them. The season starts in mid-October and runs to late May.

--Daffyd Roderick