A Royal Blast in Queenstown

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Kia Ora Headlanders!

I'm currently writing from my Uncle Michael's home in Christchurch, New Zealand (sounds like a fun city, aye?) I didn't get much of a chance to see the city, as we were rushed into the Holiday Inn and then taken on a twenty minute trek to the suburbs to my Uncle Mike's house. My cousin Angus fired up the grill (fitting, a guy named Angus working the grill) and we had a nice barbecue, even with the uncharacteristically awful weather. Its cold and raining. Just a treat for the whole family.

The past three days, however, have been some of the best in my young life. We hit Queenstown with a vengeance and it was awesome. Or, as my Kiwi kinsmen would say "It was sweet as!" We took the two hour drive from Invercargil up to Queenstown with the help of my grandmother, Mary Butterfield, and her boytoy Tony, a really awesome old British guy. Interestingly enough, Mary's not as much a fan of Tony as the rest of us are. Sorry, Tony. And as if her driving two hours with us wasn't enough, she slipped all of us 50 New Zealand bucks "for an icecream." Imagine your grandmother giving you about 30 bucks to go to Terry's, and thats about how sweet that deal was.

It was an emotional trip for the Big Guy, my dad, as Queenstown was his childhood vacation home. Every summer and on holidays the fam would pack up and hit the road, winding around the Devil's Staircase (a ridiculously narrow mountain road) and tread north to Queenstown, the beautiful resort town situated on the ever-glistening Lake Wakatipu. It was really an amazing sight. Plus, my dad got to meet up with his old flatmate Duncan Fea, who turned out to be a great guy. He let me drive his boat and his jetski on the lake. In fact I was quite a pro on the jetski by the end of the day. I was flying across the lake at 113 kilometers an hour, which is around 70 miles per hour. I was told by those present that, in the right lighting, and if you squinted just enough, I looked very James Bond-like. I'm guessing Roger Moore/Daniel Craig James Bond. But thats just what they said.

In other news, I would like to apologize for the bold lie I wrote in my previous log. Contrary to my earlier statements, I did indeed end up bungy jumping. I've got the shirt to prove it. It was the most extreme, and extremely ridiculous, moment in my entire life. It was thrilling, exhilerating, amazing, enriching, emboldening... and I would never, ever, for the life of me, do it again. However, I am proud to say I have joined the bungy club. I fell through New Zealand's beautiful sky for 43 meters off the world-famous Kawarau Bridge (where bungy jumping was invented) and plunged halfway into the Kawarau River, before jostling awkwardly in the air for another 10 or so seconds. It was truly insane. I don't know who was more shocked that I had done it, me or my family. I think it was me. I'm too anxious to pull out of my driveway, but get me 200+ plus feet in the air, and I'll jump off anything with a rope. Just kidding. Sort of. Heres a youtube video:

. I did basically the same thing, albeit far more smoothly, and if I dare say so, far more handsomely, than that asian guy.

But by far the best part of the trip so far was the thrilling, adventurous, exhilerating, and wet ride of the Shotover Jets. Hurtling through the narrow, shallow canyons of the shotover river, myself, the fam, and about twelve others had a helluva time. The Shotover Jets happen to be the only boats in New Zealand that can whip out a full 360 degree turn, which they did... a lot. They are also the only jets crazy enough to whip through the canyons at high speeds. I was sitting on the side of the boat, and came very close to gently slamming my head onto protruding rocks. It was sweet as, bro. Heres a youtube video:

. Chea, I did that while you guys were in AP Calculus E Block. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

This part of the trip was simply amazing. Lake Wakitipu was seriously the most beautiful place I've been in my seventeen and 11/12 years. The lake was like glass, the sun was out, the sky was beautifully blue, and the whole scene was flanked by the Remarkables, a stunning mountain range that is, quite simply, remarkable.

In fact, the only rough part of the trip so far, has been the news that our brilliant, innovative, and resourceful Senior Project idea has been totally and seemingly irrevocably denied by the quick-to-act Mr. Zergebiel. The man really does know how to trample the passion of six well-groomed chaps efficiently. I know you guys would have all been very excited, but unfortunately you will have to can it, as a professional, high-quality high school newspaper no longer seems to be just around the horizon. Wouldn't want to compete with "Headlight," would we? You have not heard the last of me, Mr. Z! :P

Next up: back to Nelson with less of the family. Ryan and Cousin Maggie/Mumbai are heading off to the renowned University of Melbourne tomorrow morning. They will be sorely missed. However, their four very heavy bags which I end up carrying every day... those will not be sorely missed.

Oh, and shout-out to the sick: Get better GQ, I can sort of relate, although I've never had The Kissing Disease

Your Obedient Humble Servant,
C. Michael Butterfield

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