Only in New Zealand........

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Hello all, once again from Auckland, where we very tiredly arrived on a bus full of very whacked looking travellers, most of whom at the end of their magic trail and ready for a rest - or some about to take a flight home / to another country.

For us, our arrival into Auckland it is a stop gap - a quick clothes-washing fix, a twin room at our hostel in order to get some good shut-eye (fingers crossed) and a little day of preparation before the next and final chaper of our New Zealand adventure begins.

We bid farewell to our seven weeks of being Magic Bus passangers today, myself feeling a little sad at the end of our NZ journey, but also very ready to make our own way for a bit. The bus has been a great way to meet people and be given assistance with our travels and hostel pick ups and drop offs, but the time has come for us to make our way to the Bay of Islands and Northland where hopefully we can enjoy some sunshine and maybe even a little surf. Watch this space.

The last of our Magic Bus stops consisted of a visit to Napier - a little town on the East Coast of the North Island. Having booked a night only and arriving into our hostel in the afternoon, I can't say we got to know the town in any detail. However, situated along a lovely long beach front and complete with plenty of coffee shops, we were able to chill for our day here, fitting in a spot of shopping, a coffee or two and a lovely walk along the beach front as the sunset. I tried to capture with my camera another of the many a stunning sunsets we've witnessed out here. This time, the sky sported shades of pink and orange, this relaxing image combined with so much sea air made for a great night sleep that night.

Our time in Napier ended almost as quickly as it began as we found ourselves en route to make a wee visit back to Lake Taupo. This little trip back to Taupo was planned for two main purposes. Firstly, in order for Nic to re-inburse the owners of the lovely Tiki Lodge where we stayed last time - who kindly posted her waterproofs on to her after our last stay there (it seems such a while ago now) and secondly, as I have flirted, somewhat half heartedly throughout this whole trip with the idea of doing a Bungy Jump.
Given I had opted out of doing one in every other place this has been on offer to us for one reason or another, I figured that Taupo was the last location possible and my last opportunity.

I would love to explain why I wanted to launch myself into thin air off the edge of a high platform, secured only by harness and rope attached to my feet but I'm not sure I know myself. Maybe it's my curious mind, or a tinsy wincy bit of peer pressure from the many thousands of jumpers who claim it to be an awesome and mind blowing experience, or simply it's just all of the above.. who knows, for some reason, I wanted to bungy jump.

Having signed myself in, paid and feeling even more compelled to jump after being told that I would not be refunded if I didn't make the jump, I sat myself down next to Nic, as I waited for what felt like a huge crowd to disappear. I am a fussy jumper you see, and the idea of hurling myself towards a lake at a rate of knots attached to any safety only by means of a rope in front of a big crowd of people was about as appealing as chewing off my own foot.

I waited for the best part of an hour, as bus loads of people arrived and left, hoping to see jumpers - some even taking the jump themselves and putting the wind up me as I observed, with total fear, something I had for some reason opted for and paid to do.
After a sneaky hour of convincing all on-lookers that I was too a spectator, (thank you Nic for playing my game and being SO patient!!! 😊 and in a moment where it finally seemed to have quietened down, nervously, I took myself to the platform.

The fear flooded through my body and I started to shake, trying to take DEEP breaths and have big words with myself. In no time at all, the harness and rope were being fixed to my legs and conversations about being Welsh begun by a jump master I am sure, in order to distract me (I can't even remember my response!) - after a quick convo about how to jump and position my body, before I knew it or could get my head around what I had voluntarily faced myself with, I was being told to put my arms out and told there would be a count of three. My jump master got to two when I opted to bottle it uttering "I can't do it!!" and "give me a minute".

The man was a genius, clearly. As within ten seconds he said something that stopped me becoming one of the apparently many people who stand for a good half hour before they take the plunge. I think it was something to the effect of;
"You can have as minutes as you like, but with each and every minute you take this will only get harder to do!"
TOLD.
Following this cruel to be kind statement, all he had to do was count to three and give me a gentle bit of assistance via his left arm and off I went, taking a dive through the air, free-falling at a speed of approx 60 Km per hour (I think?!) screaming my absolute head off as my brief journey through the air turned out to be nothing like I had expected it to be!

I think I entered my experience thinking it might be like jumping or diving as I would into a swimming pool, only for a much longer length of time. Perhaps sky diving should have taught me that hurling one self through the air with such force and from an extended distance could only result in a terrifying result!!! I think I shut my eyes and roared with fear as I bounced through the air towards Lake Waikato, half way back up again and once again shooting back down as the staff awaited me, greeting (well, saving) me with a pole and a dingy. PHEW.

The only description I can use to sum up the whole experience is mind blowing - totally terryfying from beginning to end but brilliant for the pure adrenalin and buzz I felt afterwards. I am really glad I challenged myself, but given how petrified I was and not sure I can get my head around doing one ever again, I think I have satisfied my curiousity well and truely for good. I would offer to show you the video but as I just played it back to myself I realised my scream resembles one you'd expect to hear in a horror movie, so perhaps we'll just stick to photos.

NIC - As you are with me, you are not actually seeing all of these blogs.. but one day I hope you might skim them enough to stumble here across a HUGE THANK YOU for being there patiently for me as I awaited the disapearence of the crowd, singing lyrics from songs to encourage me, for being there to drink wine with me after to celebrate, for your huge hug after (which I really needed) and most of all for being there whilst I did something that truely terrified me. I honestly could not have done it without knowing you were there watching and supporting me. I will remember forever your being there as think back to my memorable bungy in Taupo :-) THANK YOU SO MUCH. MWAH. xxx

As per above, my jump gave me a great desire to have a little tipple to celebrate and to attempt to calm down the blood and adrenalin pumping through my body as I arrived back from the Lake. A little tipple turned into a fully blown night out and it was hard to decide the next day if my roaring headache was a result of all of the wine we consumed the previous evening or if it was due to being flung through the air and hung upside down - maybe another combo of both?

So once again, I am up to speed. Ready to leave Auckland tomorrow morning to check out the North. This means I won't be able to e-mail or call in that time. The next time we come back here will be to prepare ourselves to fly to Fiji - how quickly this is all flying.

I just wanted to share my bungy jumping experience with you and recount it here so that one day when I am old and grey, hopefully sat with grand children on a sunday afternoon, I can dig out a copy of my blog and think back to how daft I was as I decided to take a freefall towards a Lake from 47m as I hung from a harness and rope. Or maybe I'll feel as I did afterwards on that very day - a tad emotional and shocked that I somehow found it within my rather fearful self to do such a thing.
Only in New Zealand - no less the country where the whole experience was first invented.

I will be back in touch after the Bay of Islands and Northland.
More soon and sending huge kisses,
Much love,
Lisa xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Photos

The scream said it all!
Sweet Jesus

A human Yo-yo
Where is that dingy???

Saved by the yellow boat
The blood eventually removed itself from my head and distributed itself once again around my body..