The actor, who appeared in Steven Spielberg's War Horse and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and is rumoured to play the villain in Star Trek into Darkness, was in New Zealand to lend his voice as Smaug during post-production of The Hobbit trilogy.
The Hobbit stars his alter ego's Watson, Martin Freeman, as Bilbo Baggins.
Last seen as Holmes plunging from a rooftop to his apparent doom at the climax of the second hit series of Sherlock, Cumberbatch (36) is pictured enjoying a tandem skydive over Lake Wakatipu in photographs which emerged in the British press this week.
Arriving with friends, the actor was the only one to jump - 15,000ft with tandem skydive instructor Maurcio Rocha of Skydive Paradise over the lake, Rees and Dart valleys and Glenorchy in July.
He is quoted by Contactmusic website as saying, "It was the most exquisite sensation and when I landed on the ground I wanted to do it again."
