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Yesterday, I spent the day in Te Anau, having been dropped off the night before. I got up for the 10am check-out, but stayed around to eat breakfast. I put my stuff in a locker and headed out for my walk. My first port of call was the DOC Visitors centre, just to check the walk route and to let them know of my intentions, as apparently you are meant to! I decided to walk to Brod Bay, on the other side of the lake form Te Anau. The walk took me to the flood control gates, before taking me into forest that skirted the lake. Every now and then you got glimpses out of the trees, and there were also complete openings onto the "beach". The walk through the forest was very lord of the rings, similar to where Boromir got killed.
I stopped for lunch at Brod Bay around 1, where i sat on the beach and ate what i had taken. I immediately got attacked by flies though, so i did stay around too long, as two bites was quite enough for my likings! From here i headed back, with a short stop at Dock bay, before
the long haul back to Te Anau. Just before getting back, I walked through the wildlife centre. Rubbish! Sorry, but it was pointless! Once back at the hostel, I chilled out and watched a bit of TV whilst waiting for my bus back to Queenstown.
On arriving back in queenstown, i found i had been put in a room with some of the girls off the bus, so that was cool. Having had some cereal for tea (I ate a lot whilst waiting for the bus) we all headed down to the bar for the evening. Was cool, as i hadnt really chatted to this group since joinging them on the bus so was nice to get to know them. Eventually went to sleep around 12 ready for my big day today!
My alarm woke me at 9am, and my initial thoughts were "argh, i just want to sleep, leave me alone". But, this was quickly followed by "oh now i remember, i have to go and do a bungee jump in an hour!". So up i got, ate a very quiet breakfast, before going to checkin for my jump. Life signed away, and weighed in, I was
told there was a 40min wait until the bus left, so i wasted some time on the internet. I then went back to the meeting point, at watched some jump videos on the big screen to calm my nerves. To be honest, having done the canyon swing i was less bothered about it. Well, this was the case until i arrived at the jump. The jump sight, well its a suspended cable car, 134m high above a river in a narrowish canyon. My first sight of it woke the nerves a bit! Harnessed up, we had to get out to the "pod" in what i am calling a cradle-car. Like a crane cradle, but on a wire! It had a mesh floor, so there was no getting away from the huge drop! It was at this point that two guys reckonised me from the flight over to christchruch, so had some good banter and comradery with them throughout the experience.
Once in the pod, we had leg harnesses added on, before waiting for out turn. The pod moves in the breeze, and has glass panels in the floor so you can see the people who have just jumped off. Watching them dissapear from horizontal view is very weird! They had some great music playing which helped everyone chill out a bit. For the first couple of jumps, my legs were a bit shakey, but then my name was called. Think what you like, but when my name was called i entered a strange calmness. I chatted away while he hooked me up. I had a moment of chill-out whilst waiting for the green light, then up i hopped and across to the jumping ledge. A foot square platform sticking out from the pod. I lined up, checked out the view (down and out!) and then "3-2-" i jumped. Why wait for the "1"!! The first two seconds was a bit of a weird feeling, and i did a good manly scream, but then it hit me, whats the big deal! so it turneds into "woos" and "get-ins" followed by some fist-clinching air-punching! Was SOOO cool, would happiy do it again!
Anyway, bungee over. I headed back to queenstown in the afternoon, and decided to climb queenstown hill. About 2hours round trip, but 1.5 of that was probably getting up. Really took it out on my legs, and my lower back a bit actually, particularly the bits of path covered in ice. Nearly gave up at one view point, but decided to mission it to the top. Glad i did, incredile views in most directions. Well worth it! Most of the walk was in forest, which just made getting to the top extra special, as you come out into this clearing to be confronted by the view. Pretty special!
On my return to the hostel, i discussed my days fun with the guys in my room, before eventually heading out for tea. Decided to treat myself to a fergurger. Tese burgers are ranted about by everyone, one guy on my bus had 7 in 4 days. They are basically take-away gourmet burgers, and they definitely live up to the hype. It was sooo good. And, it was big enough not to need anything else with it. That evening, we all headed down to the bar for a bit of a social, since it was our last night in queenstown, plus the last night of being together as some peple fly from christ church, which is where i am now.
On my second visit here, and arrived after a lng day of driving at about 4pm. Said goodbye to some people, before having a wander around the centre. I made my way to Costas, the people i am staying with for two nights, only to find that 3km with all my stuff later, i had walked the wrong direction down the road. RUBBISH! By now it was dark, and i was tired, so i got the bus back to town, where i then got some food before getting the bus the other way, which handily, stopped on the turning to their road. No-one was in, doh, but a note was left for me to go in the back door and make myself at home, which i did! Ten mins after arriving, i was in the bath! First one since leaving home, and it was GOOD!! Theresa returned home, to find a stranger in the bath (not literally, door was locked and they were expecting me after all!). Since then i have just enjoyed a nice chilled out evening, vegging out in a proper house, good times!
Sorry for the long read!
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Sara
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great stuff.
I really enjoy reading everything that you write. It's great. We are touring the South Island for three weeks in Feb 09 and I can't wait!!