Fear Factor - NZ Style

Touchdown in Auckland 11,450+ km and 13 1/2+ hours after departing Vancouver...a little bleary-eyed but none the worse for wear. It was just the beginning of a long day and for some, a potentially long tour!

We gathered at Victoria Airport at 3:00 pm Sunday (April 5) for the puddle jump to Vancouver at 5:00 pm. Very few had any problem shifting into tour mode and we quickly engaged the first of many bartenders that we will encounter over the next three weeks. Nothing like pints and laughs to pass the time before boarding the Air NZ flight at 8:00 pm.

We arrived in Queenstown late morning and managed to catch a glimpse of the Remarkables before the clouds rolled in as we headed off for some adrenalin activities. Apparently, jet-boating and bungy-jumping are considered a cure for jet-lag...nothing like a good dose of fear to straighten things out!

Loved the jet boat run up and down the Shotover at 75 kph, shaving the Canyon walls with the occasional 360 spin thrown in for good measure to keep everyone alert. "Been there, done that, got the t-shirt" sizes up the joy of leaping off the bridge 43 m above the Kawarau. Absolute terror wiped the grin off my face the moment I stepped off the platform. I was still vibrating an hour later and I'm sure that the microseconds of stress shaved a few years off my life! Our group earned bragging rights over the others with the most jumpers and the oldest jumper - Irish Jimmy @ 70 yrs. No prizes, no free beers at the bar that night...winners none the less!

A day of travelling, a day given up to the date line and an outstanding day one in Aotearoa New Zealand! Onward and upward!

written by

Shane & Norma on April 13, 2009 from Queenstown, New Zealand

from the travel blog: "Not Just Another Rugby Tour" - New Zealand, Samoa and Australia

tagged Shotover, JetBoat and BungyJumping

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