NZ/AUS EPIC HOLIDAY - Days57-62

Queenstown and Surrounding area

Day 57 - 26th March - Queenstown

Just a simple day of R&R between hikes. Stocked up for the next walk and updated my blog. Took some time to shit my pants over the prospect that I still don't have a job lined up for after the holiday.


Days 58-62 - 27th-31st March - Routeburn and Caples Track

The Routeburn, one of New Zealand's most popular hikes, is a three day hike that starts in Mount Aspiring National Park near Queenstown and moves into Fiordland National Park via an alpine crossing over an area called the divide. It attracts many trampers so booking is essential and I managed to get one. However I figured that three days wasn't enough so I chose to add on another hike at the end, the Caples Track. This takes trampers back out of Fiordland and up to the shores of Lake Wakatipu near the town of Glenorchy and about an hour away from Queenstown.

Incidentally the two trails only come to about sixty three kilometres although with side trips this could be raised to over seventy. This is still a rather short hike for five days though, mainly due to the Routeburn being such a short hike. I was considering adding on another walk again to lengthen the experience but I haven't got too much time in New Zealand. In fact after I'm done with this hike I've got twelve days left. Time is flying!

Day 1

I awoke to the sound of torrential rain on the roof and found myself gazing upon one of the most miserable days I'd ever seen, grey and absolutely pissing down. The prospect of getting up early and hiking in this weather did not exactly thrill me but it had to be done, I refuse to be a quitter. That and I'd already pre-paid my hut fees and transport.

I grudgingly ingested a quick breakfast and gulped down a hastily prepared cup of tea before reporting to the pick up point for my transport to the start of the track. I secretly hoped that the van would break down and offer us a full refund, instead it turned up bang on time and collected me along with several other weary trampers, all covered in so much warm clothing and waterproof apparel that we looked grotesquely overweight. I wondered what it would take to get out of doing a hike in such catastrophic weather without looking like a quitter. Suddenly a brain hemorrhage actually seemed like a thoroughly appealing concept at this juncture, how often can someone say that?

Covered entirely in waterproof clothing I rushed through the downpour to my hut as quickly as possible. Fortunately I didn't miss too much scenery. Like most of these walks the first day is never all that interesting. Plodding through the utterly rain sodden landscape was hardly the most agreeable scenario I'd ever been in. The heavy downpour had turned much of the path into a running stream and random, newly created waterfalls crossed the path and had to be forded. It wasn't long before I reached Routeburn Falls hut and my spirits were immediately lifted to new heights. The hut was just bloody marvellous, a large construction on stilts on the edge of a mountain next to a waterfall. It was my new favourite hut in New Zealand so far.

Another thing that never fails to delight on a horrendous day is changing into dry clothes in front of a roasting hot wood coal fire and relaxing with a hot beverage, in this case a hot chocolate. I dried my clothes by the fire and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my day in the hut.

Later on, towards the early evening, the downpour relented and I took a stroll around the area surrounding the hut. The views were absolutely amazing with spectacular peaks rising in all directions. The Routeburn Falls were also thundering down, thanks to the heavy rain, providing a feast for the eyes and ears. Once again I was elated, thrilled to be out in the wilderness and I had completely forgotten about the thoroughly execrable weather I'd endured earlier. The weather forecast promised much better weather tomorrow and, judging by the look of the scenery ahead, tomorrow looked like it would certainly not disappoint. This was a good day, a really really good day.

Not that I'm eager to leave this absolutely splendid hut though. I could have stayed another night, socialising and playing cards in front of the fire all night.

Day 2

just look at this stunning panoramic photo!

Well bugger me with a fishfork! Was it naive of me to trust the forecast and expect good weather today? OK so admittedly the weather did technically improve, that is to say that it went from utterly torrential rain and zero visibility to light rain and zero visibility. Part of me did hope that things would get better. But my luck had to run out sooner or later and since I've had near perfect weather for most of my holiday I suppose it would be ungrateful to complain about it finally turning against me.

I ambulated forth from the wonderful Routeburn Falls Hut and made my way up towards the area known as Harris Saddle. For the first two hours of the day it looked like things were going well. Although cloudy and damp the views were quite spectacular for a short while. Once I'd reached Harris Saddle though things took a turn for the worse. A thick impenetrable fog descended upon the landscape and reduced visibility to a stones throw away. I would have taken the optional side-trip to the summit of Conical Hill but given the weather I was less than eager. I started the tramp down from Harris Saddle towards Lake Mackenzie, quite hastily I might add. Normally this section is meant to be completed at a leisurely pace in order to take in the views but considering the circumstances I figured I might as well hurry, after all I was cold and wet and I wasn't really getting much in the scenery department.

Apart from a few scant and fleeting glimpses when the clouds partially cleared, the walk was grey all the way. Before long I looked down to see Lake Mackenzie and the hut of the same name nestled amongst some trees on the shore. Once I reached the hut I was pleased, once again, to find that the fire had already been lit and I was able to join in the ritual of attempting to dry my soggy clothes in front of the stove. Yet again the highlight of the day proved to be a hot beverage and a warm meal. Though I would have rather the most memorable experience of the day was the walk itself, I was nevertheless pleased to spend a nice cosy evening in a nice warm hut whilst socialising and playing cards with my fellow backpackers, all sharing the common lament that the weather was so foul.

Fingers crossed, tomorrow has to improve! I've got to see something on this trip surely?!

Day 3

A faint glimpse of blue in an otherwise grey sky above gave a hint that the weather might clear slightly. The morning forecast suggested cloudy with showers but I decided to take a gamble. Leaving my pack in Mackenzie Hut I retraced my steps back the way I'd came the day before, proceeding all the way to the Harris Saddle, about two thirds of the way back to the Falls Hut. My gamble paid off and it started to clear so I made the trek to the summit of Conical Hill, the same place I skipped the day before because of the ghastly weather. The views from the summit were very spectacular and although I couldn't see for miles all around I was still able to see much which, after yesterdays debacle, was more than enough for me. I started to head back, more than satisfied with what I'd seen, and I returned to Mackenzie Hut to grab my pack and proceed to the next hut.

A thick impenetrable fog descended upon the land shortly after I left the hut. This didn't bother me so much as I'd already had some good views today and most of the track beyond Lake Mackenzie was beneath the bush-line and therefore most of the views would have been obscured even in good weather. I passed a rather spectacular waterfall and it wasn't too long before I reached Lake Howden and it's hut.

Howden hut was just great, mainly due to the fact that only five other people were staying there instead of the dozens of people found at the other huts. This was mainly due to the fact that it was located very near to the end of the Routeburn track. Therefore people doing only the Routeburn simply head for the end. It's really just a hut for people who are combining this track with another, as I am of course, I'm doing the Caples tomorrow. It was also nice due to it's small size and therefore didn't take long to heat up with it's coal fire. By the time I turned up it was roasting inside. It was a very tranquil evening there and, once again, I was glad to watch the awful weather outside, which had been getting progressively worse since the fog arrived.

But the fire was nice and warm inside and so I wasn't complaining. This is the good life!




Day 4

By now, as I'm sure you can imagine, I'd had my fill of rain. But looking out the window it was still grey and unpleasant looking. I left Howden hut and began the short walk to the beginning of the Caples track. I was walking with a couple of other trampers, Kiwis from Wellington, and when we reached the start of the track we had a decision to make: do we proceed down the Caples or the Greenstone route? Both of these hikes finish at the same place but the Caples climbs over a mountain saddle and is a more tricky climb. With fog all around the idea of climbing just to see nothing didn't really appeal but there were a few brief patches of clear sky that we took as good omen so off down the Caples we went.

When we reached the saddle the fog was just starting to clear and the views ahead of us were fantastic. Before long the Caples Valley could be seen in all it's stunning glory. Before long the skies cleared and the sun finally showed itself once again. We continued on and I started to edge ahead of the others, after all I had a long day ahead.

I journeyed on, eventually reaching thick forest where the track continued for quite some time before finally emerging at Upper Caples hut which was located at the base of some stunning and lofty mountains. I took a rest in the hut for about an hour, chatting to a friendly American couple before I headed on. Normally, most people stay at Upper Caples because it's the halfway point of the track. However I could only book transportation from the end of the track early in the day so I pressed on to Mid Caples hut so I could get to my transport in time the next day.

When I reached the hut I found it occupied by a group of charming locals who were vacationing in their own country. They even offered me their leftover food which was wonderfully kind of them. I keep telling you that Kiwis are friendly. It was a cosy little hut with a nice view to watch the sun disappear behind the mountains.



Day 5

Finally I awoke to start the day in good weather, it's about bloody time! I didn't have too far to go today so I took it nice and slow, enjoying the views and the wonderful weather. When I reached the end of the track I was greeted with incredible views of the vast Lake Wakatipu and the spectacular peaks that rose up over literally every possible side.

My transport arrived and I was taken on a short journey to a wharf where I, along with a few other trampers, boarded a small water taxi and were whisked off across the lake back to Glenorchy. Before long we were on a bus again and soon enough we were back in Queenstown once again.

I have never looked forward to a shower as much as I did on that day!

SYDNEY/KIWI ADVENTURE-10: Leaving New Zealand

Well I must admit I didn't really do much with my last day in Queenstown. I simply had a go on the luge a few times and wandered around town and around the skyline area for a while. I completely knackered my arse after misjudging a turn on the advanced luge track and went flying off in a spectacular and frankly embarrassing manner. Combined with my minor leg muscle strain caused by my extremely high speed downhill ambulation caused me to limp around town in a rather amusing way.

On the next day the time came to leave New Zealand and fly to Sydney for the final segment of my holiday. I've flown out of/into many locations but I've never witnessed such amazing scenery over an airport before. I rarely take photographs from a passenger airliner, I mean why would you want to since you usually only see a big flat airport, then an urban area and then clouds, lots and lots of bloody clouds! This time however it was alpine scenery right from the word go. Take a look at some of these photos and I'm sure you'll be impressed.

Arriving in Sydney I found my way to Rob's and Colleen's humble abode which might I add is a very wonderful place. A lovely two bedroom studio style apartment that even has a balcony! It was certainly a great staging post for a holiday in Sydney especially since the regular bus service leaves from outside and drops you off in the town centre about 15-20 minutes later. I admit I didn't go as crazy as I did in New Zealand with the unstoppable spending, I thought it was time to take it easy. This isn't too hard given that Sydney really is a wonderful place to just hang out in without spending too much.

Eventually though I decided it was time to go and do something spectacular, it was time to see the famous Blue Mountains, the national park that lies just 60 or so miles outside of Sydney. But that's a post for another time.

Queenstown from the air

Just outside Queenstown

Flying over Fiordland National Park

SYDNEY/KIWI ADVENTURE-9: A relaxing, lazy sunday: Hot pools, massages and hang gliding!

Well the weather forecast suggested that the weather today would be bad but it seems that Queenstown's weather is less than reliable and the predictions are not meant to be taken as seriously as you might do in another part of the world. It was indeed overcast but the rain was nowhere to be seen.

Anticipating this weather, and due to the fact that it was Sunday and therefore a good day for goofing off, I had booked a couple of appointments for myself to wallow in total self indulgence. First things first was a trip to the Queenstown hot pools, a rather wonderful place located just outside town that provided spectacular views of the shotover river (a place I seem to be returning to many times) and provides the customer with their own delightful open air private hot-tub. Since my legs were still aching a little from my spirited downhill run I felt like treating myself. I had also suffered a minor case of whiplash from jumping into water from a great height in the Waitomo caves so it was time to lounge around and let my body relax. Sadly the place didn't provide any naked young women to entertain me so I took a book with me instead.

I brought along a copy of Bill Bryson's book Down Under. Anyone who hasn't read any of this man's travel writing would do well to give it a go. I walked into a bookshop in Auckland a little over a week ago and randomly picked up a book on Australia (after all I had just been traveling around there on the Sun Princess) and it happened to be Bryson's book. After reading about 3 paragraphs I took the book to the counter and slapped down my money. I've never had a book sell itself in it's first few paragraphs but there you go! His writing style is wonderfully dry and he manages to make the most mundane things incredibly hilarious. The funny thing is he never really actually does anything when he travels to another country. He just ambulates around town at a leisurely pace looking at random things and then chats to a few locals then has a pint. Yet he somehow turns these seemingly insignificant non-events into brilliant, pithy little anecdotes.

I didn't get too far before I had to leave, my hour passed too quickly so I sojourned to the nearby health spa for my one hour massage. I had asked for the most punishingly violent massage available, one that felt more like grievous bodily harm than body therapy. Still that's the way I likes 'em.

And what better way to finish off a nice quiet day than hang gliding? In keeping with the laid back nature of this particular Sunday I booked a flight when I noticed that the weather was in fact getting better not worse. After all most of my previous activities had been pulse pounding, heart pumping adrenaline rushes, this time I wanted something nice and relaxing. I didn't have to look too hard to find a company that had some short term spots left on their tour.

We drove up to Coronet Peak, a really spectacular ski resort just outside town. Of course it's summer here so there was no snow but the view was still very beautiful (as just about all views from just about anywhere in New Zealand tends to be). This is real Lord of the Rings scenery right here. The take off sequence was very simple, running towards the edge of the nearby cliff and hoping that the giant triangular sheet of polyester we were attached would catch the wind and take off. Incidentally it did and we were airborne in seconds.

Now all I can say at this point is I would recommend hang gliding to all but those with the most intense and terrifying phobia of heights. It really is the closest you will ever get to flying. Previously I had only tried powered hang gliding (ie. a microlite) and although fantastic fun you still realise you're strapped to a big noisy engine, albeit a small lawnmower sized one). When hang gliding all you hear is the wind rushing gently past your face and you can easily talk to your pilot. It's quiet, relaxing and really quite sublime. Another reason I chose to hang glide today was that I knew it wouldn't be over quite as quickly as skydiving (which lasts about 380 seconds) or Bungy Jumping (which last about 7-12 seconds!). This was a nice leisurely float down from the mountain that lasted about 15 minutes before landing in a field. Very nice!

So now I've only got one more day left in Queenstown. I think I'll probably just save my money and have a couple of rides on the skyline luge again. After all it's probably the only cheap ride in the whole town. Then I'm flying back to Sydney to spend a week before returning home to Blighty for Christmas. Bloody hell it's going to be so goddamn cold there.

Right after takeoff

...and a few seconds later

SYDNEY/KIWI ADVENTURE-8: Still jumping off things

Aah the brevity of thrill rides is not exactly helped by their disproportionately high costs! But that seems to be the theme of my current holiday so why stop now? After all I'm almost done here in New Zealand and I'm about to return to Sydney to spend just under a week with my good friend Rob. Today's fleeting thrill ride was the Shotover Canyon Swing. If that sounds familiar it's because I've already been on the Shotover river, both when whitewater rafting and jet-boating. It seems that this river/canyon really is a magnet for adventure seekers. In fact I remember passing under the canyon swing whilst I was cruising down the river a few days ago.

We were driven by bus to the site of the canyon swing and our group shuffled forwards to the launch pad. When I approached the places that my three Bungy Jumps were located just a few days ago I found that the staff were very reassuring. Although I wasn't so nervous some of the others in my group were and the staff were very friendly and encouraging to those who were having second thoughts. The same cannot be said of the canyon swing team. Every step of the way they were acting as if the last group didn't make it or that they didn't have any idea what they were doing.

My two jumps of choice were the "Chair of Death" and "Gimp Boy Goes to Hollywood". The chair of death involved being strapped into a chair with the back facing the canyon. The idea was for me to lean back and plummet off the edge at speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour! Of course the crew were making sure that I didn't get off that easily. Instead of simply letting me go they were taunting me, allowing me to lean back then grabbing my harness and preventing me from falling. At one time one of the crewmen pulled me back at the last second with a cry of "Oh shit! I forgot about the safety harness!" Of course I wasn't falling for that one but I humoured them with a rejoinder along the lines of "oh you guys are evil bastards!". A couple of false starts later and what seemed like an eternity of taunts and stalling one of the crew pulled me back and told me he had to adjust something. Reaching forward he instead shoved the chair off the ledge and send me hurtling groundwards at breathtaking speed.

Of course one jump wasn't enough so I did another one. This one, as mentioned earlier, was called "Gimp Boy Goes to Hollywood". It involved being suspended upside down with my head looking up to face the canyon. Thankfully the boys were not quite so sadistic and they simply let me go once I'd gotten myself into position (after a quick photo). This time I got to see the ground rush towards my face, a more familiar sensation since I'd already done Bungy Jumping.

Tomorrow's weather is apparently not looking to promising but that's fine because I've prepared a fallback if the outside weather turns out to not be ideal for outdoor activities. It never hurts to have a contingency plan does it now?

There I go!

There I go again!

SYDNEY/KIWI ADVENTURE-7: An expensive additction

Well now I know why they use the term "adrenaline junkie". It really is an addiction and although I honestly don't know what it's like to roll around on the floor, shivering, sweating and crying into my blanket as I try in vein to get to sleep after not being able to get my heroin fix, I have to admit that I keep wanting more and bigger thrills as my time on this adventure holiday progresses. Today I went skydiving and I must say it was one of the most arbitrary decisions I've ever made in my life!

The last time I went skydiving was in Hawaii and that was the second time I'd ever done it. Afterwards I told myself that if I did it again I would learn to do it solo instead of relying on a tandem jumper to strap myself to. However the circumstances that led me to today's jump were much more spontaneous and impulsive than that.

I had tried to book a paragliding trip up on the Queenstown skyline complex but the weather turned against me. It may have been a fantastic warm day with not a cloud in the sky but apparently paragliding is a sport that lends itself to very sensitive wind conditions and fate was working against me that day. Disappointed that I couldn't get my fix for the day I wandered around town asking various places if they had any spots open for any adventure tours. I reached a couple of places that were fully booked and the only free spots were the ones I had done already (such as jet-boating or Bungy Jumping).

I was about to give up and was feeling rather crestfallen about not getting my adrenaline fix when I walked past the NZone Skydiving centre. I approached and enquired about the availability of a last minute jump and as luck would have it there was a shuttle leaving for the airport in five minutes. Delighted I signed up without even the slightest consideration for the bloody good kicking my bank balance was about to receive.

Before long we were at the airfield and I was getting suited up, the only person who had jumped before. The others were all German exchange students still in high school around the age of 17 and it seems that skydiving was apparently part of their itinerary. All I can say is I certainly didn't do anything remotely that awesome when I went to high school!

It wasn't long before we were ascending to the heavens in our aircraft. As always the anticipation felt as the plane slowly climbs over the truly amazing scenery is almost as fun as the jump itself. Last time I jumped was in Hawaii which is also possesses a sublime landscape but this was spectacular in a very different way. Imagine endless stretches of snow capped alpine peaks going as far into the distance as you can see and you might get the idea. The visibility allowed us to see for miles in each direction. We reached the altitude of our jumps (12,000 feet!) and, as usual, I was the first out of the plane. I must digress to admit I would have liked to see someone else jump before me, just to see the expression on their face. After all usually tandem jumpers are first timers, most people who want more end up learning the sport. But anyway I was thrown out of the plane with cameraman in tow to witness the scenery rush towards me all whilst enjoying one of the biggest adrenaline rushes a person can get.

As with my previous jumps it was all over too soon. The tandem master yanked the cord and our descent was slowed from an outrageous 140+ miles per hour to a much more manageable parachute assisted glide. Coming in to land I was certain that the next time I took to the air, I would be on my own.

So there you go, being hooked on adrenaline rushes may not have withdrawal symptoms that are as horrible as heroin addiction but I've got to admit, it's still a damn expensive habit. It also got me thinking about the possibility of changing careers, after all musicians don't exactly bring in the big bucks. Perhaps in a few years time I'll be "Dan the world traveling skydiver" or something like that! I was giving some serious consideration to getting a diploma in skydiving, apparently the courses are quite affordable here in New Zealand and once you've got your foot in the door you can earn a nice little bit of money. But I'm not going to think about that right now, I'm still on holiday!

I wanna go again!

SYDNEY/KIWI ADVENTURE-6: Extreme Watersports

Well it was quite an exciting day today because...wait, every day has been really exciting. This one however was no exception so that's still a good thing.


First things first was the legendary Shotover Jet boat ride. Apparently one of the fastest and most exciting speedboat rides in the world, this was my first activity for the day. This adrenaline pumping thrill ride is a heart pounding high velocity joyride through the spectacular Shotover Canyon reaching speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour/50 miles per hour! Darting in between narrow canyon walls and barely scraping the sides of the rocks it's a thrill that betters any roller coaster and provides amazing scenic views. The most fun moments of the ride have got to be the 360 degree spins that the boat pilot randomly performs at moments during the trip. I got a video of the ride recorded which perhaps I'll upload someday. It was a fantastic thrill ride but to say that my day peaked at that moment would simply not be true, for it was only the start of my adventures.


After getting suited up in wetsuits and life jackets it was now time to engage in part two of the adventure on the Shotover River: whitewater rafting. Whilst on the jet boat we only got splashed but now it was time to get soaked and this time, we were in control!

But first we had to get to the starting position. We had two choices: either take the bus there or fly. In keeping with the nature of this adrenaline packed day I chose the latter of course. We were picked up by helicopter and provided with beautiful views of the canyon which we would later be rafting down. Like so many of this adventure holiday's fleeting activities it was over too quickly and we were calmly waiting around admiring the view while waiting for the slowcoaches who were taking the bus. Eventually they arrived and we began to prepare the boats. We received a short safety briefing and boarded our rafts with 7 rafters and one guide who steered and shouted out commands. Our delightful guide was Sally, a spirited Kiwi who, like so many others, seemed to possess a lust for life that may be taken for granted in New Zealand but is always surprising to people like me (who has spent too much time around the stoic and uptight Brits).

We cast off and began to float down the river with Sally explaining the various commands to us: backpedal, forwards, back right & back left (each side paddling in opposite directions for a rapid turn), hold on!, and the most fun: over left or over right. The over left/right commands involved us all moving to one side should the need arise for us to put more weight on one side. As it happened we did use this maneuver at one point but more on that later. Right now we were enjoying our leisurely float down the river, preparing for the rapids that we knew were coming. We had been told that today was a particularly good day for rafting because the two days of rain had really flooded the river and provided us with some rapids that are usually only reserved for advanced rafters. But it's New Zealand and it's a great country for throwing inexperienced people into the fray and hoping that all their body parts remain intact!

After some time we reached our first rapids and got ourselves sufficiently wet (which was something of a relief considering the fact that we were in big warm wetsuits) but then it was another little stretch of quiet floating. Now normally you would expect the calm moments between the rapids to be quiet and serene, with an opportunity to let the view sink in and relax. Not in New Zealand though. It wasn't long before we were playing games with the other boats (5 in total) ramming them, splashing then and even boarding them and dragging their rafters either onto our boats or into the water! It was all about as crazy as things could get and frankly I was loving every second of it. People were even leaping off their boats and floating down the river to cool off! There really was a party atmosphere on these boats and it proves just how much fun people like to have in New Zealand! At one point our guide Sally abandoned us by leaping off our boat and onto another one in order to tackle one of the other guides! At one point we even knocked another rafter off their boat and stole him, using him to paddle along on our boat and gain some extra speed! Those krazy Kiwis!

A few moments later the horseplay died down as we were reaching the first of the advanced rapids. We made it though them quite easily, although we were holding on for dear life and whilst getting soaked in a perpetual spray of water we crashed and pounded our way through several rapids including ones that were given names such as "The Toilet, The Mother, Oh Shit! and The Cascade" to name a few. After making it through all those ones intact we were a little bit disappointed that no one was thrown off the boat and into the frothing, churning rapids below so our nutty guide Sally ordered a hard over maneuver (everyone to one side) and deliberately capsized the boat! We floated along for a while in the water before clambering onto the upturned boat and gloating to the others that we were actually hardcore enough to deliberately flip the boat over! After a while we flipped the boat the right way up again and prepared for the final and most intense rapids.

First things first, we had to go through a long underground tunnel, apparently one of the only two places in the world where you can whitewater raft through a tunnel and just after that we were treated to a final plunging drop that got us all spectacularly soaked in the process. It seemed that our rafting trip was at an end. We beached our rafts and then carried them to the rafting station and bid farewell to the staff. It seems that yet again I can tick off another activity that was "the best thing I've ever done!" (incidentally I seem to have done hundreds of things that are the best things ever and each one is just as good as and better that the others, don't ask me how!)

So there you have it, I cannot recommend this enough, if you're ever in New Zealand you have to try...Bungy Jumping, whitewater rafting, glowworm cave exploring, jet boating, aah screw it, I can't name everything. And believe me, I'm not even close to being done, It's just day after day of craziness here in New Zealand.


In fact, speaking of craziness I did one last thing today. I was wondering whether or not I should have a drink or go out for a walk. I decided on the more cost effective latter option and started to walk around town. As I approached the skyline cable car I decided that since I have my season pass I might as well go up! After all I've been up every other day of my time in Queenstown, why break a good habit? As I neared the cable car station I arbitrarily decided to walk it instead! It was going to be getting dark soon but that didn't matter. After reaching the top and nearly exhausting myself I was able to get a few nice snapshots of the mountains as the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon. Then I decided to do something even more ridiculous. I ran down! Yes that's right, it took me about 50 minutes to walk up non stop and I ran down in 12 minutes! After I reached town I could barely walk and was in a mild state of delirium, talking to myself and swaying around in a mild daze. I collapsed in a chair and started to type, I'm sure once I'm done here my legs won't work at all, they feel like they're been chewed off, regurgitated and then reattached the wrong way round! But I feel great nonetheless.

And that's all for today folks!

dusk over Queenstown

SYDNEY/KIWI ADVENTURE-5: Extreme Bungy

NOTE: The action photos presented here (ie. the Bungy photos) are not of me. I took them with my camera but the ones of me were all printed out and given to me on paper. Once I get home and scan them in I'll be able to replace them and prove that I did it myself. But I really really did do it, honest!


Well today we all got the beautiful weather that we were all promised here in Queenstown (take a look at the picture to the left and compare it with the last photographs of the same view). Apparently it's going to be like this for the rest of the time I'm here (until December 2nd) so that's quite alright with me! Since the good weather brings out all the adrenaline junkies (myself included) the adventure sports of the day were springing into action all around the place. My own suicidal act of choice was Bungy Jumping. To be exact it was three different Bungy Jumps. You see I simply couldn't make up my mind which one I wanted to do and I figured, what the hell, let's do all three.




First things first, we were whisked off to the Kawarau Bridge to do the first jump, probably the most well known since it was the first commercial Bungy Jump to be introduced to the world by the thrillseker to put all others to shame: A J Hackett. Although he didn't come up with the idea, (it's actually an old rite of passage ritual used in Vanuatu) he was the first to present it to the world and say "come on up and give it a go!"

The Kawarau bridge bungy may not be epic by modern jump standards but it's still a good place to try your first time. Poised over the Kawarau river you basically throw yourself off and then once you've stopped bouncing they lower you into a small rubber dinghy that comes out to get you and take you to the shore. After doing it I immediately wanted to do it again, after all it was over so quickly! But I knew that my next stop would be far more spectacular, that last one was child's play in comparison!



Next stop: the Nevis Gorge. A Bungy Jump off a cable-car stretched between the two sides of a massive canyon and poised over another river way off down below. This one though was far higher than the tiny little Kawarau bridge, 440 feet to be totally exact. Apparently the freefall is supposed to last 8.5 seconds but it sure went by quicker than that! But I'm getting ahead of myself. We arrived at the place and took a few moments to admire the view and let it sink in just what we were letting ourselves in for! After getting kitted up we were whisked off to the jump pod in a tiny little wobbly cable-car to await our descent towards the ground so far below. Spectators were also allowed to come out to the jump pod but I can guarantee that anyone with even the tiniest sliver of vertigo wouldn't even make it this far!

The cable-car and jump pod had plenty of big holes in the ground to look down and survey the extent of the height we were about to hurl ourselves down from. Reaching the jump pod I was told I was going to go first which was just fine by me. Without hesitation I got kitted up and positioned myself over the edge. without a moments pause I hurled myself off, my brain instinctively telling me that "this is it you bloody idiot, you're going to die" before the sense of euphoria kicked in and I laughed manically as I hurtled earthwards before bouncing back up thanks to my trusty elastic cord. This time they used a winch to grab me and pull me back up to the jump pod, frankly I prefer it this way because I can really take in spectacular view. Just like the last jump though it was once again over too soon. I really wanted to go again but I figured that I still had one more jump to do. Taking the cable-car back I returned to stable ground and picked up my photos and DVD. On to the next, and final jump.

The next Bungy site was at a place that I was already familiar with: the Skyline complex looking over Queenstown, reachable via the cable-car up the side of the mountain. So far I've been here every day I've been in Queenstown (thanks to my season cable-car pass) but this time the weather provided me of yet another variation of the always spectacular view over Queenstown. With some time to go before my jump I treated myself to a few more runs on the fantastic luge track before reporting to my final destination: the Ledge Bungy.

Now the Ledge Bungy is positioned in a place that really does provide one of the best views of the land. Right next to the cable-cars which are perpetually running back and forth, the panoramic view of Queenstown is a sight to behold and really sells this particular Bungy. Since I had already done the Nevis jump I figured that this would be a step down in terms of excitement so I asked them if there was anything I could do to make it more fun. I was told of a move called "The Matrix" which involves taking a running jump off the edge and then turning round in midair and pointing both guns (ie. my fingers!) at the platform and firing. A pity I couldn't make it more authentic by using real guns but they probably take a dim view to Bungy Jumpers blowing the brains out of their jump crew, assuming I actually hit any of them of course I've never fired a gun, though I'd frankly like to but I think I'm starting to digress a little though so back to Planet Earth in 3 2 1...

Once they hoisted me back up to the platform I was given some good and bad news. The bad news: the cameraman buggered up the shot and I my photos didn't come out properly. The good: I was going to get a free jump! This time I simply hurled myself out trying to wave at the camera in midair but I kinda messed it up a bit and my the time the camera went off my freeze-framed pose looked half life I was trying to play air guitar in mid-air and like I had just reattached my arms and realised that they were on wrong! You'll have to check back in a few weeks for those though since, as I said, my pictures are print-outs only.


So there you have it! A day of three Bungy Jumps (with a fourth one thrown in for free!). My insane lust for tempting fate with insane death defying feats had been satiated for the time being and I returned to my Hostel to ponder what I should eat tonight. I've got some curry sauce and chicken in my fridge but someone recommended several restaurants in the area, oh the agony of choice!

More foolhardy antics tomorrow folks, I'm going...well just wait and see. It'll be awesome I promise!

Looking down from the Nevis jump pod!