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Published: March 31st 2006
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Anakiwa - Lunch Stop
Safe views from sea level In the words of Catherine Tate's nan ... "WELL!!!"
But it's OK. We're alive. We survived. You might not have been worried but for a while we didn't think we'd ever see you again. Here's the tale of Wednesday 1 March in our own words ...
An energetic day in store - "3-in-1 Adventure Day" along the Marlborough Sounds (Queen Charlotte Sound to be precise). Jet-skiing, sea-kayaking and mountain biking. Grand.
Left our oasis of calm at 7am and drove to Picton to meet up with Nigel (owner) and Craig (guide) who were to be our sole companions for the day. Kitted up in wetsuits again (could almost grow to like them - not) and off to the harbour for adventure #1: jet-skiing, a first for both of us. Whoooopeeeeee. Fun. Lots of. And a baptism of fire to boot.
Had to get across the rough choppy mouth of the sound to the calmer waters before we could really let rip. This entailed riding (taking off) over huge waves that threw you (and the jet-ski) into the air before crashing down with a bang. It didn't help that as you smacked back down onto the waves (and
Ignorance is Bliss
Post-kayak pre-bike - smiles all round the seat - umph) - gallons of salt water get slapped into your face rendering you blind as you accelerate into the unknown.
The throttles were triggers - much like bike brakes - so every time we crashed down, we impulsively tugged back hard on the 'handlebars' (hanging on for dear life), which meant we were shot forward like cannonballs. Must've been a riot to watch! Zipping into the bays was much more pleasurable, sliding smoothly into the calm waters at pace. Nigel claimed he was impressed at our 'handling' and even reckoned we'd hit 70kph at some stages (must've been while blinded). Reckon he says that to all the girls - after he's stopped laughing.
Soon enough our couple of hours was up and it was back to the harbour for adventure #2: kayaking with Craig. We moved to a calmer stretch of the sound for a calmer, drier session than the Doubtful Sound experience. It was a very peaceful, scenic, civilised drift gliding around remote bays and coves watching the fish and birds.
Pulled into Anakiwa for a welcome lunch, full of the joys of spring and all set for the scenic set down the
Queen Charlotte Sound
There should've been lots more of these higher up but ... well! Queen Charlotte
Drive. Nigel dropped Craig, us and the bikes at a respectably hilly point, 16km from the finish line and promptly left. Cool, we thought. How wrong could we be????
From here we were subjected to a killer 2 hour (felt like 10 hour) death defying shakeup along the Queen Charlotte
Track. If it wasn't enough that it was an unsealed, very narrow track with potholes and rocks the size of craters, sheer drops on one side and thick forest protruding from the other, we had blinking MASSIVE hills to climb. Not content with this much "adventure", Kate then decided to lose one pedal down the ravine (rather it than she).
Ohhhh joy.
Sadly, the ingenious, makeshift fixes failed so Craig eventually swopped bikes with Kate, and we left to traverse the remaining 14km, while Craig followed behind, half pedalling, half scrabbling. We vehemently offered to abandon said cycle and walk back to the start but Craig wasn't so easily defeated! We could barely contain our enthusiasm, but instead of calmly explaining our shared anxieties, we resaddled and ventured on, too proud to 'fess our fears and downright dislike of chosen path. (We later explained to
Home Sweet Home
Why would anyone be stupid enough to leave this for a bike ride?! Craig that we hadn't wanted/chosen the track route, and he 'belatedly' remembered this small detail.)
It is no exaggeration to say that this was the worst experience of both our lives (so nice to be able to share it, don't you think?!) Kate admitted later that when she'd seen the '6km remaining' marker, she nearly burst into tears. I was far too deep in a tourettes syndrome trauma of my own, trying my hardest to stand as much as possible to absorb the jarring in my legs.
(At the time) we were convinced we were going to die. The hills were so big that our fatigue just made the wobbling worse. Skidding over and round rocks and tree roots, while trying to avoid the edge, was too much to bear. Add to the mix vertigo (Kate) and back pain (me) - joy of joys! (Ok, so we're a right pair of wusses mebbe but bear in mind that we consider a jaunt along the Thames towpath a work out.)
Craig was keen to point out the scenic views (like we cared) and kindly offered to take photos of us(erm, no) We're Not Celebrities - GET US OUT
New Zealand Laaamb
In the absence of many photos from our 'adventure' day thought I'd borrow one for Mr Rooksby (preferable to a photo of my dinner plate last night...) OF HERE.
Finally, the downward bits began to outweigh the ups and we bounced down the treacherous terrain into thick forest. My sunglasses became a hindrance so jammed them down my cossie for the sake of keeping them safe. Shared the tip with Kate but she said she was far happier not seeing what was ahead or below her thanks. Suddenly Doubtful Sound seemed like a paddle in a pond.
Enough already, you get the idea. You know we arrived in one piece (unlike Kate's bike). Relief drowned us. We swiftly said our "thanks" and "goodbyes" and "wasn't that fun?!" before we legged it to the Slip Inn (ha bl**dy ha) to exchange horror stories.
It might not come as much of a surprise to learn that yesterday we barely left the Loft apart from a safe, flat stroll along Tahunanui Beach to a well deserved slab of cake and soak in the sun at the beach cafe. Our bodies still feel a bit battered and bruised but nothing a few days R&R can't cure.
Perversely, I can now say I'm glad I did it. Kate's still not convinced. At least we've both pledged NEVER to do that kind of
adventure again! (Anyone wishing to buy a pair of bikes should check out www.ebay.co.uk/foolsfloggingbikes)
Ho hum. Hope you're all well and having fun too!
Love
N&K
PS. Forgot to mention! Amid our bounce down the track we passed a unicyclist on his way UP! Should've been really impressed but instead we both felt an overwhelming urge to shove him over the edge. Bleedin' show off.
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non-member comment
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh
Maybe try a bit of sunbathing for a while, yeah? Toooo worried now. Be careful!