NEWS # 043
Hi everyone!
Thursday dawned wet and cold. The snow on the ground was still evident but
the heavy rain was making it disappear rapidly. I had decided to leave early
and make a run for Queenstown, the adventure capital of the South Island,
before the snow returned.
I had breakfast and was ready to leave by nine. Thankfully, the rain was not
turning to snow and the wet roads had not become icy overnight. I headed
past the aqua blue of Lake Pukaki and on towards Twizel. All the mountains
around me were well carpeted on snow but the road seemed well cleared.
Passing Twizel, I headed on to Omarama and then via the Linden pass, to
Wanaka. Two hours after leaving Mt. Cook, I reached Wanaka. The rain was
still very much in evidence and I could see no sign of it stopping, so decided to
continue on to Queenstown.
From Wanaka, there are two routes. The first, more sensible route is flat
and passes along the shores of Lake Dunstan. I chose the second, over the
mountains, feeling in need of a challenge!
On leaving Wanaka, I head up the valley towards Queenstown. About ten
kilometres out, I go over a bridge and see four guys getting out of a very
bent car. It is only as I am two hundred metres up the road, that I realise
that they must have just crashed, as the car is still motionless, in my rear
view mirror. I turn around and head back to them. As I pull up, I wind down
the window to ask of they are ok. One of the guys says that they were
following an old dear in a 4x4, when she stopped suddenly, on the bridge and
they went straight into the back. The 4x4 and old lady were undamaged but
their car was trashed! I offer them help but they say someone has already
gone for some, they are all ok but thanks anyway. I turn around and continue
on my way.
The road continues ever upwards past the Cardrona Ski-Field and the sides of
the road become more covered in snow.
There are many snow chain bays but all
the notices say that I only have to carry the chains and fitting them is not
necessary, yet!
the high pass
my trusty steed
Queenstown, far below in the distance
Eventually, the road reaches the point where it is the highest pass in New
Zealand and by now it is well covered in snow. I stop to take photos and
then head on, hoping that the weather will remain fine. As the road decends,
I am treated to some fantastic views and can see Queenstown airport in the
distance.
Eventually, some four hours after setting off, I arrive in
Queenstown, nestling in the valley, squashed between the mountains and Lake
Wakatipu. I find Deco Backpackers and settle in for the night.
the view down from Deco's
The hostel is small and filled with long term visitors, three of whom are
from Exeter and surf at Croyde! I decide to book myself on an action packed
day, tomorrow and head off into town. Everything stays open late and most of
the shops are still open at 9.00pm.
I decide to do the Awesome Foursome and get myself booked on. It involves
bungey, jet boating, helicopter riding and river rafting and sounds crazy.
The next morning, I'm up early and off dopwn to the agents for my pickup at
8.00am. There are seven of us doing the day's events, six guys and one girl.
We are met by the guy from the bungey crew who will drive us up to the
bungey site, some forty minutes away. We all climb on the bus and head off
into the mountains. There is a little nervous talk but we are somewhat
subdued, maybe because of the thought of what is to follow. The bus winds
it's way through some pretty rough terrain and I am glad that it is the
first 4x4 bus I've ever seen. Eventually we arrive at the bungey site and we
realise why we were so quiet.
This is the highest bungey jump in New Zealand, at 134 metres, or about 460
feet! We are to jump from a gondola, suspended on wires, about 600 feet
above the river. We go into the main office and are fitted with full body
harnesses and then led to the shuttle which takes us across to the gondola.
We are all clipped onto a wire on the shuttle so that we cannot fall out.
The shuttle has a mesh floor, through which we can see the ground and the
sides come up to our waists. Apart from that, it is open! The shuttle then
heads put some one hundred and fifty metres, to the gondola.
When we arrive,
we are unclipped, one at a time and reclipped to the gondola, until we are
all safely inside and the door is closed.
the floor of the goods lift
the Pod in the distance .....
..... and getting closer
hooking us in
We are told to take a seat on the glass shelf on the back of the gondola
whilst our leg harnesses are fitted. The front of the gondola is open and we
can get a really good view of the mountains and the river below. We have
all been weighed and the first guy, the heaviest, is called to the black
chair and attached to the bungey rope. He is then led to the edge and
prepared to jump. They count him down and he goes. We watch him through the
glass floor as he falls. After the second bounce, he releases his feet and
he is winched back up.
As he is winched up, I am sat in the black chair, an old dentist's chair(!),
ready for my turn. He is then told that he needs to go again because the
video didn't work! I am sent back inside and he jumps again.
Now it's my turn and I am sat in the chair again and attached to the bungey.
Was I scared, you're dead right but so amped up tha there was no way that I
wouldn't do the jump. I say hi to all on the video and am led to the edge.
Looking down, the river looks like a tiny blue ribbon and not too bad.
The
jumpmaster then tells me to look straight ahead and it is only when I see
the mountains that I get some idea of the height. I prefer to look at the
ground!
the 600 foot drop
He asks me to smile for the camera and they count me down. Five, four three,
two, one and I swallow dive off into eight seconds of freefall before the
bungey rope pulls me up. The river looks much bigger as I deccelerate. On
the second bounce, I release my feet and turn the right way up so that I can
be winched back up to the gondola.
As I reach it I am pulled in. I am
buzzing with excitement.
here goes one of the gang
now it's my turn
oh sh..... !
yippee!
and another one falls off
the lift back to the top (through the glass floor!)
The next people all go in turn. One guy is full of confidence until he looks
over the edge. He tells the jumpmaster that he cannot go. The jumpmaster
counts him down and he goes and is delighted when he returns.
Eventually, we have all jumped and we get back on the shuttle for our return
journey. We collect our t-shirts and climb on the bus back to town.
We are
all buzzing on the way home.
I'm so glad it's over
Seeya,
Halesy
