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Like bobsledding but can't stand the cold? Then head down under. The Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, tel: (617) 3268 6333, on Moreton Island, off the coast of Brisbane, Australia, is the setting for one of the most exhilarating thrill rides this side of the Matterhorn—and there's not a snowflake in sight.

Tangalooma is mostly known for the bottle-nosed dolphins that can be hand-fed along the resort's shoreline each evening. But for a real encounter with the wild, guests climb onto boards made of waxed Masonite or wood fiber and throw themselves off the summit of one of the nearby 90-meter sand dunes. They call it "sand tobogganing."

The resort supplies the board, and apart from a good pair of sunglasses, nothing is required except strong nerves: you can get up to 60 km/h over the fine, undisturbed sand. The sport itself is easy to master, although you'll be finding grains of sand in your pockets (and even up your nose) for days afterward. And you can leave your parka and long johns at home.

• Max Wooldridge
• Built for Speed