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Published: October 1st 2005
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Apres landing
glad to be back on the ground ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok keep your pants on everyone uncle Daves here to tell you about his exciting adventures with Rob the ravenous!
Arrived in Taupo to constant rain - but this didnt stop us having a fantastic quad biking trip in the nearby forrest. Due to the weather there was just the two of us for a 3 hour bike!
We had 2 guides and at times it got a bit hairy, but once you got in control of the bike you learnt quickly and that the bikes we were on could go up n down near vertical slopes AWESOME.
Went through forrest / farmland and offroad terrain! Sore a calf been born along the way along with deer etc. There are no brakes on the bikes so all braking is done via the gears - weird and hard to get the hang of initially. Rob ended flying into the back of us down one descent with our guide only a few metres in front of us. Our guide was new to the game and we were her first pupils - the experienced guy was behind us.
Rob - guide was
canopy ride
going down! a women and useless, sorry but she was, she crashed head on into a gate and took us the wrong way. Due to the heavy rainfall, we were sliding everywhere and shooting through huge pools of water, it was mad!!!!!!!, 5 geared bikes allowed top speed, but on certain areas of the land you could easily lose control and have a major accident, I nearly came of at 40mph and it would of left me in a crumpled mess in some ditch. Saw a 2000 year old tree and you could even walk in side.
Dave- Next morning woke up and got picked up by a Limo Oh yes its freefall time 15,000 feet of it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weather was amazing - views over the volcanoes and Lake Taupo - The freefall lasted over 1 minute - the highest tandem sky-dive comercially possible! We went into a spin which really tested my ears - ouch! eventually and it seemed like a life time the parachute opened then complete silence.......................................... yeeeeehaaaaaaa! we did a few spins on the way down with a great landing - got the dvd and photos - bring it on!
Rob- woke up and was that
excited nearly wet myself. Skidive day was fantastic sunshine, Limo was great and we had a ride with 3 girls from Canada, one was nearly caking her pants!!!!!!!!. When we arrived I managed to pusuade Dave to go for the 15,000 drop. Before we knew it me and Dave were in the plane all alone @ 15,000 feet, I was first out and I just caught a glimse of dave and then BANG/BOSH I was freefalling. It was an incrediable feeling and I was right over the small island (motutaieko). What a buss until I went into a massive spin. On landing I felt tired, fatigued sick and extremely disorientated, In my video the guy asks was that good to which I looked up and almost threw up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave - 20 mins after we landed we got picked up for Rock and Ropes a crazy climbing adventure with about 20 telegraph poles with wires and draw bridges attached. Your attached by a rope which the person at the bottom controls (B-laying)
Scarey heights! theres one in which you have to climg to the top of this huge pole and when you get to the top stand on the end
sunset over rheuapehu
view from balcony YHA - v.narrow and jump for a trapeze swing! We both managed to get it but many people miss which id imagine is even worse.
There a huge freefall swing at the end which is most worrying of all.
Rob- Rock N Ropes was something I was looking forward to due to my climb experience. Loads of assault course type events which Dave managed very well. The hardest one was the timed assault course with a record of 1.30 by a Swidish climber. Dave got up in 3mins 35seconds, and I manged just under 3 but struggled on the last hurdle. Great rope swing at the end, guide was quite a sexy girl all in all 8/10 and for only 60$ its money well spent.
So evening commences and this day is not over yet - oh no . First a hot spa and then a few drinks- Got dragged out ". Night started like any other with drinks in Finns, then it went crazy in the holly cow, were I got my forehead stamped for cheap drinks. Got quite drunk, but by far the worst of was Dave dancing around like a african tribes man!!!!!!, .
Yes it
rob and an old tree
extreme tree exploring was a great night - and the funniest of all was the 1970s disco dancer - fashion disaster - not fancy dress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (see pic)
Next morning after 3 hours sleep, got up and amazingly felt great! Had a cracking english breakfast then of for White water rafting down the Tongariro river (?grade 4). Very cheap trip and super fun. Voluteered Rob and i to sit at the front and be the ????confident ones dictating the pace of the boat. Our guide was great fun and the rapids were awesome although a bit tame at times, one guy from the boat in front bailed out so we had to grab him in on the way down. Me n Rob ended up chanting to keep everyone in time - 1/2 way through the trip the guide asked if we were all having a good time and rob said ' yeah but have you got any food?'.
Rob- Woke to actually seeing Dave in bed,. Managed to drag him out of bed, . Pick up time was 10.30 with 1hr trip to rivers edge. A great experience with me and dave taking the front seats. 3/4 way through trip, guide got
the swiss girl up with us and we hit a major rapid and got soaked. This water in our suits lead to serious chauffing/itching. 8/10 for the experience but respect the water, at high tide the guide said it can rush rocks down at 10-15mph, DONT BE IN THE WATER AT THAT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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in your element
hey dave! got an offer accepted on a house! (ditched the grave yard after all!). early days but it is just outside Ross on Wye. your sky, water and earth adventures look awesome- both jealous! xx