Golf and parachutes

Taupo is a nice town, kind of like the Queenstown of the north island. Huge lake in the middle, and not quite as mountainous as Queenstown, but still pretty rugged terrain around. KP came here a few weeks ago and managed to get himself to the edge of a bungee platform but no further. However, he clearly remembers the town more for the golf challenge, a floating platform about 150 yards out into the lake with a hole in it that you have to try to send a ball into from the shore. In spite of the impossibility of this task, it didn't stop him from pulling in every time we passed it to send 10 balls into the water, including one occasion where it was blowing such a gale that even the proprietor suggested that "you might be lucky to hit the platform today mate".

Anyway, Taupo is also the skydiving capital of New Zealand, and for some strange reason, I saw fit to hurl myself out of a perfectly good aircraft at 15,000ft strapped to someone else who thankfully seemed to know more about the art of opening a parachute than I did. It was great fun, although the 60 seconds of freefall went in a flash. And the view of the lake and surrounding countryside from that angle is incredible.

written by

phileasdogg on December 18, 2008 from Taupo, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs

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