The 58-year-old has walked down and up the Grand Canyon four times, he likes to ski down the French Alps "as fast as possible" and has climbed some of the world's most treacherous mountains.
More recently, before his arrival in Dunedin, he sailed a 10m yacht from Auckland to the Bay of Islands in rough seas.
Now, he's looking for his next thrill - perhaps bungy jumping off the Skippers Bridge in Central Otago?
Dr Goodman admits even he has his limits.
"I watched people bungy jumping off the Auckland Sky Tower. I don't think that's for me . . ."
Instead, he plans to do something a little more sedate during his trip south - like walk the Routeburn or Milford tracks.
"It's all about having a goal and feeling like you've reached it," he said.
"It's taken me a long time to get a balanced lifestyle, as I've been a workaholic for many years. But now my children are grown up, I've got time to enjoy life."
Despite the thrill of slightly risky outdoor pursuits, nothing compared to the frisson created by a live musical performance, he said.
"All the sadness and happiness in my life gets communicated in my music, and hopefully that reaches the audience."
Dr Goodman will conduct the Southern Sinfonia's Baroque and Beyond concert on Sunday at the Glenroy Auditorium.
Dr Goodman has worked as guest conductor with 120 orchestras and opera companies worldwide, and is principal guest conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia, the English Chamber Orchestra, and conductor of the Bachkoor Holland accompanied by the Royal Concertgebouw Kamerorkest.
His musical career began as a chorister with the choir of Kings College Cambridge where he achieved international fame as the "high C" soloist in the celebrated 1963 recording of Allegri's Miserere (Decca).
He later became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and completed his educational studies with a violin performer's ARCM and a music teacher's diploma.
From 1977, Dr Goodman worked in Europe as a principal violinist, playing as concertmaster or soloist with conductors such as Ashkenazy, Brüggen, Ivan Fischer, Gardiner, Herreweghe, Hickox, Hogwood, Koopman, Mackerras, Marriner, Norrington, Pinnock, Rattle and Schreier.
An invitation to conduct a televised Sibelius birthday programme with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1993 was the catalyst for Dr Goodman's flourishing career as a serious international conductor.
Since then, he has developed his own "house style" when conducting orchestras - something which would be evident in the Southern Sinfonia concert on Sunday afternoon, he said.
"It is, simply, a respect for what I think the composer intended. When a composer's dead, some people think they can do what they want, but I don't like that. I want to be as true to the composer as possible.
"If the Southern Sinfonia can share the passion with me, and then share that with the audience, we'll all be in for a wonderful concert."
