Smell the Fear!

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Part 2 Queenstown 14/02/07 - 15/02/07 Jet Boats, the ‘Luge’ and The Nevis!!!

We’d barely been in town 5 minutes when we were whisked off to the Shotover River for the Shotover Jet Boating experience. The boats displace 800 liters of water a second and can run in about a foot of water, flying next to the river canyon walls at speeds of up to 80kph. The trademark of the jet boat rides is the 360 degree spins, which leave with you with a huge grin on your face.

Whilst in Queenstown - the official home of bungy, I was absolutely compelled (whether I wanted to or not) to jump the highest bungy in New Zealand - the 134 meter, 8.6 second freefall Nevis High Wire. Heading out to the bungy site in the courtesy shuttle, the palms start to sweat as the anticipation builds. The dirt track winds up to the canyon where a purpose build ‘jump pod’ hangs, suspended from wires across the canyon. Spectators and jumpers both wear harnesses to be winched across to the jump pod on a small cable car.

Once arriving at the jump pod the tension starts to really build. Some jumpers go all chatty to try and cover the fear. Others seem to retreat into their only private quiet place. There is no real way to deal with the fear. It is totally un-natural to throw yourself over the edge of a shear drop into a canyon and despite watching others come to no harm and come back up smiling, there is a personal barrier to cross to launch yourself off into space. The staff advise to swan dive out toward the horizon as it looks better on the DVD and then they count down 5-4-3-2-1. I felt my legs go to jelly but somehow they still propelled me forward. I can’t actually remember much about the freefall. I think the brain is processing too much information to actually take it in but the adrenalin rush is intense, and like all the jumpers before me, I was winched back to the top with a huge grin on my face. I think the inane grin comes from relief that it’s over and with that a huge satisfaction that I’d faced my personal fears and triumphed!

Back in town and with my heart rate slowly returning to normal, we rode the gondola to a fantastic view over Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the ‘Remarkables’ range. At the top of the Gondola ride we watched the Kiwi Haka Maori show where ‘Chief Jerry Lynch’ was challenged in traditional style by the Maori chief and Christine played with the Poi ball, a traditional Maori ball that is slapped rhythmically, slowly building faster and faster. The Luge, a downhill winding track with mini plastic carts is absolutely hilarious fun. We all rode the scenic route and then the advanced track where you can reach a dangerous speed and leave the ground on the humps if you so desire. After the bungy jump, I felt worryingly immortal and so cornered faster and faster on each run.

Queenstown has a real buzz around town and a real feeling of a ski resort, even in the summer months. It reminded me of walking the streets of Chamonix in France or other Alpine locations. We hit a few bars in the evening and enjoyed amazing cocktails made by 2 Italian cocktail waiters who have shaken and stirred all over the world.

I was sad to leave the adventure capital of the world, but we had a tight schedule to keep and more activities awaited; the slightly eccentric and unusual looking ‘Puzzling world’ of Wanaka and a hike on Franz Joseph Glacier awaited.

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Photos

All dressed up
and ready to Jet Boat

360 Spin
The Jet Boat signature move

All smiles
The post-jump trademark cheshire cat grin

Jerry Schumacher
on the 'luge'