Day 85: White Water Rafting

Sunday 28th February

Yet another early start, but this time to go White Water Rafting!

Distance: 

Total Distance:

Our start wasn't really all that so early-6.30am minibus sent by the rafting company. All being English speaking we quickly understood the instructions. Have shoes that won't fall off. Collect wrist band. Sit in numbered seat on the giant coach. Fill out waive health and safety forms.

It wasn't so easy for the guides though. This was a BIG operation, involving a few buses carrying many people. Many were from East Asia and English was their second or third language, if they knew it at all. Started to feel like many didn't if we're honest. Thus the start and the end of our day, which involved about 2 hours of travel each easy and a lot of instructions being given, was relatively chilled as the guides tried to get messages across to the rest of the troupe. It would have been funny if they guides weren't such nice guys and clearly exasperated by the whole performance.

6 from the tour had signed up and the rafts were 6 person vessels. Perfect! We got a very experienced guide who'd done ten years of rafting, taken an extended break due to injury, and returned some months ago. Originally from Invecargill on the Southen tip of New Zealand he was very pleased to have us. We could all swim. We could all paddle (having been canoeing already). And we alll spoke English.

This gave us a greate measure of freedom. We could follow commands and get done what needed to be done. At times our guide would let us go for a swim as he went back to nature rafts were safely making it over rapids. He took us to a few less used locations and allowed us to try out different areas of the river.

At lunch time burgers, hotdogs, salads, juice, coffee, and tea were provided. The road runs relatively close to the river so they have a semi-permanent set up of tarps and wood. It was a cool spot with only a few flies to annoy us.

That afternoon we added another 4km to our 6km. It was hot and despite our best efforts we were getting burnt knees. The river want as high as it could have been had there been more rain. The river we were on though is the only one that can be rated all year round in Australia though. This is due to a dam at e top of the river. The rafting company has an agreement with the dam holders to keep a minimum amount of water flowing so as to enable rafting. Yet we still got stuck on a variety of rocks and so had to do some very interesting manuvers to get free. It was a complete contrast to the worst our guide had ever seen. Ten years ago he'd started a tour during a day when a cyclone was coming in. During the day the river rose 16 metres! That's taller than some of today's trees along the bank- but apparently they're mostly regrowth from various cyclones that batter the areas, felling forests.

At the end everyone from East Asia was was loudly commanded to get dried, changed, and back onto the coach for our return. 

In Cairns the hostel gave us all free drinks for the mess after last night's meal. We then left for the two "must see" bars in Cairns. 

The Woolshed is a bar n grill type place where after food we were invited to dance on the tables and the girls given free champagne. One of our whiter than white German girls was swarmed by a Japanese stag party, who all wanted photos with her.

Gilligan's is a huge night club, with an area outside for live bands, a pool for day time use, and a massive, ancient, tree in the roof that extends over the beer garden. We were all tired by this point. It was good, but nothing that I haven't actually seen before. Except for the wet tshirt competition, which was terrifying. And it proved that some British people abroad have no shame, unlike the Germans. Time To Go!!!

Day 48: Shotover Canyon Swing and Nevis Bungy Jump

Friday 22nd January

I jumped off a cliff, then got pushed off the cliff in a chair, then jumped out of a cable car in the middle of a canyon. 

"LOL", "YOLO", etc.

Distance: Bus, 100km, free fall 0.8km

Total Distance:  5431km

I won the Canyon swing after a fancy dress party (turns out that phrase doesn't translate well- it's British English for costume party) at Lake Mahinapua where I dressed a Gandalf the Grey, complete with light on the end of my staff.

A group of 5 of us got a minibus from the centre of Queenstown out to the Shotover River Canyon, where we would be jumping, and the place where canyon swings were first commercialised.

The idea of a canyon swing came from the glorious sport of rock climbing. When we climb we are attached to a rope, which has a small measure of elasticity to it, the rope being attached the the wall and running down to a friend on the ground. Thus, when one fails and falls, the rope pulls tight (but with enough spring so as not to jolt and cause spinal damage), and hangs one from the wall, controlled by the well grounded friend (hopefully). We do like a good overhang for climbing though- where the wall's gradient hangs over head, such that the climber is not just holding onto the wall but hanging. There is still, if not more so, still the problem of falling. Because we are normally climbing above the last point we attach the rope to any fall pulls us backwards, towards that point, creating a pendulum as one falls, with a small free fall at the start.

Multiply this up a few hundred times.

That's a canyon swing. Starting on the cliff we each jumped off, free falling 60m, before the rope caught up and we swung along the bottom of the canyon, just above the river and rocks.

Great fun!

There's a whole bunch of styles and ideas- forwards, backwards, sideways, on a chair, on a child's tricycle, with a ukulele or a friend. As you can see my the photos I posted a few days ago I went with the no hands sideways pin drop and the leaning backwards on a chair over the abyss.

The guys there are very nice and very cool, with good music often changed to suit the jump if you're doing something particularly stupid- resulting in the jump seeming far less daunting. They laughed in amazement as my cool exterior when jumping fell away as I jumped, me screaming "like a dying cat" as I fell. I've got some great photos of them laughing their heads off as I fall.

In the afternoon I was off to New Zealand's largest Bungy, the Nevis, at 134m above the canyon floor. Just getting in the cable car taking us out to the platform gave me the jitters as it has a mesh floor. I could see all the way to the valley floor. When I'm climbing heights don't tend to worry me. Falling is a different matter. 

Once geared up I stood on the little plinth, well worn from countless jumpers, staring out, down, to my apparent doom.

Behind me they shouted.

"3...2...1...go!"

"No" I quietly replied, and without thinking took a step backwards.

The jump master came to my rescue.

"Look right a head", he told me, "into the mountains. Then jump"

"OK", deep breath

"3...2...", I jumped. Well, technically I just fell of the edge. Just like my bridge jump there was no finesse to it. I just fell off. Screw jumping.

I plummeted down, barely able to see, air rushing past me as I took in a breath...only to scream my way down. And up. And down. And up. And down.

There was a little tag to pull which would bring me to lateral by releasing my feet (waist still attached) to make the ride up more comfortable. I'd met a girl who hadn't managed it and came up feet first. All the blood had rush to her head, leaving her red faced and with a day long head ache. I was potentially going to be in the same position as the tag became caught around my ginormous hiking boots. It took some effort to release it, then release myself. Thankfully I got it and was able to enjoy the rest of the journey up and the beautiful view.

Back at the top the adrenaline and endorphins kicked in generating euphoria and a giddy sensation resulting in me jumping up and down on the glass floor section of the platform and telling all the people yet to go that it was amazing and not to be worried. 

'Cos clearly a nutter telling you to chill out is extremely reassuring.

Afterwards I went for a wee walk whilst the hormones dwindled, leaving me tired but happy.

My dreams that night were a strange breed of heights, falling, flying, terror and joy.

Photos! New Zealand's Biggest Bungy Jump, The Nevis! 134m

Photos from the Nevis Bungy Jump, again, I can't jump properly. Who the heck can? This is a stupid activity and I love it :)

Again. Screamed. And chickened out of the first count down. 

Photos! Canyon Swing!

Just a couple of photos from my 2 Shotover Canyon Swings

I screamed. A lot. Again.

Photos! Kawarau Bridge Bungy Jump

Here's the photos from me doing the AJ Hackett Kawarau Bridge Bungy Jump from 43m, and hitting the water!

(NB much too scared to jump properly)

Day 32: Bungy Jump!!!

Wednesday 6th January

I did a Bungy Jump!!! Then came to Queenstown

Distance: bus, 67km, and I bounced half a km on the end of the bungy cord

Total Distance: 4452km

I did a Bungy Jump! Off a bridge! Into a glacial river! It was nuts! I'm so pumped now :)

We drove from Wanaka to the crazy Puzzling World with its maze, then to a giant fruit shop to pick up some goodies before getting on the road down to Queenstown. On the way we passed the Bungy Centre at Kawarau. There were just two of us, me and a little blonde American(?- some Europeans have an American accent, she isn't loud or shouty). 

We had our feet strapped together, attached to all the ropes and bits, then placed on a ledge over looking a river. It was a beautiful place. I didn't notice. Hmmm....that's a long way down.

43m over a river. It's the original site that AJ Hackett used after he invented, developed, then profited from people throwing themselves off stuff attached to high tech elastic  bands.

Still a long way down. Under the steel bridge the waters are pure blue, due to the water being glacial melt. They swirl under the bridge, disrupting the surface. I'd asked to be dunked in the water up to my shoulders. Well, you just have to, don't you? The lack of surface tension would make the landing softer. Still had to remember to keep my hands in an over-the-head diving position and chin tooked in. Safest way to do it. One girl off the previous bus didn't and now she has burst all the blood vessels in her left eye. Safety first!

3...2...1...

It's a very long way down.

I don't want to do it.

Just a little jump of the edge.

What if I catch my feet on the edge. That'd look silly and hurt.

Just go.

Looking back at the video I can see what happened. My knees sort of crumpled, and my feet did a tiny hop forward. It was like a Loony Toons manuver. As I left the ledge my body stayed upright. I fell standing. Then gravity and the rope caught up. My body slowly turned, the rope caught, and I decelerated just enough to dunk all the way up to my chest in the cold water.

I screamed

I screamed like a little girl

Then I screamed with joy

Then I screamed because I could scream

Then I screamed because no one told me to stop

I was dragged down into the boat in the river and taken back to dry land.

What a buzz. I'll post the pictures when I get them off our driver.