Wanaka and Queenstown from 15,000 feet!!!

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So, after death defying helicopter rides, caving through true blue ice caves and possibly the best pizzas we've ever eaten in the Blue Ice bar, we moved on again, this time headed further down the west coast of the South Island to the picturesque Lake Wanaka. As with most of our journey's between towns we stopped off at a few photo stops and sights that you'd probably see on postcards! We stopped at the Fox Glacier. We're not sure whether it was this or the boiled mint that was discovered first, but I can assure you they are both equally impressive! We were glad, however, that we'd decided on the Franz Josef glacier as that was a bit more impressive from where we were sat! We also saw the famous Lake Matheson, also known as the "Mirror Lake" because it...er..mirrors things!

Further along the drive that day was a drive through the town of Haast, over a famous bridge called the Gates of Haast that crosses the Haast river and then across the southern alps on the Haast pass. A self obsessed guy decided to name everything he saw after him apparently when he arrived here. He was German. It was very impressive, though, and we stopped at the 90 feet waterfall for another photo op and to fill our bottles with glacier water. Mmmmmm, fresh! We arrived at our destination for the day in the glorious sunshine around 3pm and threw our bags into our rooms before heading straight for the travel desk to see if there were any deals on bungy jumping and sky diving for when we were in Queenstown, a few days later. Five minutes later, due to a combination of clear blue skies, minimal wind and poor weather forecast for Queenstown, and we had booked a sky dive from 15,000feet for that evening! We looked at each other with the same look that said, "Shit! We're gonna jump out of a plane in a couple of hours!".

The west coast of New Zealand is in the top five or so places to skydive in the world and we didn't want to pass up the opportunity! In our dorm was a Spanish guy called Dominic who, after speaking to us in a non persuasive manner at all, decided that he wanted to join us!!! I was suffering from man flu, so spent the next couple of hours trying to clear my sinuses so my ears didn't explode on the way down while Lizzie spent that time on the toilet so her bowels didn't explode on the way down!!! We were collected by the skydive company, while inside was Stephan, the most German touristy looking German we'd seen so far (and we've seen a few) who had been on our bus around the island.

We were all suited up and were assigned to an instructor being interviewed by Skydive Wanaka TV (not sure you can get it back home) and led out to the plane! Despite the impending fall towards the ground with a rucksack on, neither of us were nervous at all as we'd been waiting to do this for such a long time, so just couldn't wait. The flight took about 15minutes until we got to the altitude we needed and the view was stunning. The sun was starting to set and we could see Mt Cook, Lake Wanaka where we were staying along with Queenstown about 60km away, where we were off to next.

There were nine of us crammed into the plane, with no room to move and I got in last, which meant I was closest to the door. I'm not a genius but that meant I was first to jump! Here we go then!!! The door slid open, I looked over to Lizzie at the other end of the plane, who gave a big thumbs up and before I knew it we were out. The feeling was just awesome! I'd asked him if he could spin us around or do something other then the normal, so he sent us down head first for a while, which I didn't even realise until he'd told me afterwards. But, despite the fact I was hurtling towards the ground at 130mph, it didn't feel like it! We both agreed that it was lucky we admired the views on the way up as it was the last things on our minds on the way down (at least until the parachute opened anyway!). A minute of freefall was over far too quickly but the parachute opened and we were on our way down!!! Lizzie landed a bit more gracefully than I did and her firsts words were "Oh! That was amazing!!!" in the most high pitched voice that irritating dwarf lady from Will and Grace would have been proud of.

So, that was our skydive! We couldn't have asked for a better one, with the views of the snow capped mountains and lakes only coming a close second to the Norfolk Broads!!! The next day, we were up early again in search of more adrenaline fuelled fun! This time we'd found the ultimate....Puzzle World!!! It was a museum kind of thing full of optical illusions and stuff like that, including a walk through maze! We hit the maze straight away, and decided it would be fun to see who could finish it first. Thirty seconds later, with steam coming out of our ears because of all the dead endings and misleading passages, we bumped into each other and thought we'd take our time and try and do it together. Thirty minutes later, we quit. I'd like to say I'm ashamed of quitting, but we'd had enough. The heat, the seemingly miles of corridors and the need to get to the hologram exhibition led us towards the emergency exits!!!

The rest of the puzzle world was cool and they had a room that made one person look like a giant and the other look like a dwarf. There was also a room that messed with our heads. It was a walk through room where the floor was at a 45 degree angle, with water running uphill, an uphill snooker table and all sorts. Lizzie felt sick in here so we left before she decorated the room!!!

Next stop, Queenstown! The party and adrenaline capital of the South Island, and home to the famous Nevis Bungy! On the way, with Mr Bean as our new driver (best lookalike ever. Hands down) we stopped at the Kawarau Bridge, the world's first ever commercial bungy jump. A few guys from the bus had a go, and Lizzie was very nearly tempted but she declined! I was also kind of tempted, but was planning to do the big one and so I booked it there and then before I could talk myself out of it and change my mind! This one was 43 metres but I had signed up for the Nevis! A cable car suspended 134metres above a canyon floor! It's fair to say, my nerves were jangling. So I'd booked it for first thing the following morning so I only had one night to worry about it.

We stayed at Southern Laughter with the hairiest, loudest snoring Australian called Lindon and a Kiwi violin busking guy! There were plenty of other options for hostels that evening but the free soup was the clincher, yet again! We went out for a few drinks with everyone from the bus, partly to settle the nerves, but not before we sampled a world famous Fergburger!!! Lizzie, with the appetite I have gradually been nurturing over the years by eating Morgan sized portions, opted for the 15 dollar Mr Big Stuff...more than half a pound of meat. Grrrrrr!!!! I think she's struggling with the lack of food we've been suffering from in order to afford jumping out of planes and things!

Anyway, the next morning I left Lizzie in bed to go off on my bungy jump, still incredibly nervous. We hopped into the minivan for the drive to the jump site, forty five minutes out of Queenstown, which ended with a dirt track to the top of the canyon. All of us had more than a few nerves, although they were calmed significantly when we actually saw the jump site. It honestly didn't look as horrific as all the pictures and videos suggest, so we'd all calmed down and couldn't wait to throw ourselves off the cable car! I just about had time for a nervous poo before getting harnessed up and sent over the the jump pod in something that resembled a basket from a deep fat fryer, probably scarier than the actual jump. John from Colorado went first after we all had our ankles strapped up and he was winched up with a huge grin on his face, which made it a hell of a lot easier for the rest of us.

So, after being secured in the dentist's chair sort of thing with some S&M gear straight from the stores of Soho, it was time to jump! I shuffled over to the platform, with my toes over the edge, looking down 134 metres down to the canyon floor and a small stream!!! I'd already made my mind up that I wasn't going to just crumble off the edge of the platform and was going to jump as far as I could. 5 4 3 2 1 BUNGY!!!! One of the best feelings ever, sailing through the air in pure silence, which was (I know it sounds weird) kind of relaxing! There was still that rush, with the floor coming up to meet you very very fast but the whole thing was just amazing.

I met Lizzie absolutely buzzing but starving as I didn't want to eat breakfast then see it disappear onto the canyon floor, so we headed to KFC for a victory feast. In desperate need of another adrenaline fix, with Lizzie trying to shut me up by asking every pharmacy if she could get me some valium, we searched for some more activities and opted for the luge track at the top of the cable car overlooking Queenstown! It was 450 metres above the town where there was a track that you hurtled a little gravity powered kart down, in hope that you don't crash, fall out and break any bones. Unfortunately, it didn't take you 450 metres down to the bottom, that would probably just kill people, but was good fun, even if it did make us feel about ten years old!!!

That night we hit the town with another Canadian straggler, Mallory, and her friend Sarah, while I tagged along representing the token gay guy. Regardless, we had a good night drinking teapots from the world bar and watching girls dance on the bar in the Buffalo Bar's resident Coyote VERY Ugly girls! On our way home, we visited Fergburger again as Lizzie just loved Mr Big Stuff from the other night! Unfortunately, most of this one ended up on her face!

Our last day in Queenstown was a very rainy one! We couldn't really complain though as we;d had great weather all the way round, despite everyone saying how much it rains in New Zealand! Our last activity, if you can call it that, was a round of indoor crazy golf where we stayed dry in the downpours! This was by bar the best crazy golf course built since Pirate's Cove, Great Yarmouth! With ski lifts, roller coasters and volcanoes for the balls we had a whale of a time!!! The free Chupa Chup that popped out when you finished the 18th hole just topped it off!

We had a random German girl (yep, another German) in our dorm that night reading through our guide book asking about every hostel, and I mean EVERY hostel we'd stayed in, while looking through our book of hostels.

"How much vaz zis hoztel?"
"Can't remember, whatever it says in the book"
" IT ZAYZ TVENTY TWO DOLLARS! BUT I PAID MOR ZAN ZIS! I PAID TVENTY ZREE AND VAT ABOUT ZIS HOZTEL"
"Not quite sure actually, what does it say in the book?"
"AND VAT ABOUT ZIS HOZTEL, YOU STAY HERE? HOW MUCH VAS ZIS"
"I DON'T F@&?#%NG KNOW HELGA!!!!!! READ ZE F@&?#%NG BOOK!!! JA?"

That was Queenstown! Next up was the delights of Dunedin, which boasted the second most photographed building in the southern hemisphere (ooooooohh), the world's steepest street and a Cadbury's Factory!!!

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Photos

Lake Matheson
aka. the mirror lake

Mount Cook and other mountains
viewed from Lake Matheson