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Published: December 18th 2006
AJ Hackett Bungy
World's first commercial bungee, just outside Queenstown.After traveling down the West Coast we arrived in Queenstown AKA Whistler with a big lake. On the way we stopped at the world's first commercial bungy and watched some of our fellow passengers take the leap. Ang and I chose to focus our financial resources on four long nights at some of Queenstowns finer drinking establishments.
After escaping Queenstown we headed to NZ's number one scenic destination Milford Sound. Milford receives 270 days of rain a year, but the gods were smiling on us and we arrived to blue sky and hot sun. The scenery was amazing and i took at least 100 photos that day. Unfortunately the gods abandoned us in Dunedin; I lost my memory card with all the Milford Sound, Queenstown, and Stewart Island photos. Of course those were the only photos yet to be burned. TRAGIC! Some fellow travelers we nice enough to give us copies of their photos and we still have our memories.
After Milford, we stopped in Tuatapere to go jet boating and shear some sheep! The jet boating was boring but the sheep shearing was packed with danger. The farmer who gave us the tour was demonstrating how to shear
when he sliced the sheep's jugular and almost cut it's ear off. It was a bloody mess. Angela cried. After the excitement I took a try and aced it. The farmer said he'd hire me, I declined. I can assure you we had great photos of all of this, but you'll have to use your imagination.
Next stop was Stewart Island, NZ's third island and last stop before Antarctica. Only four hundred people live on the island as most of it is a national park. We spent three days hiking, eating fresh fish and mussels and relaxing.
Leaving Stewart island we toured through the Catlins wilderness area which is loaded with seals, sea lions, penguins and dolphins. We were driving when we came across a female sea lion on the road. We got out to take photos and the sea lion chased Clay. According to the Conservation officer he got too close and she was only playing with us. Clayton's convinced she was trying to eat him. We used to have a couple good snap shots of the chase too.
After the encouter with the blood thirsty sea lion we stayed in Dunedin AKA Scotland of the
Queenstown II
Alcohol in a Teapot! Clay, Ang & Joseph AKA Team Canada
Photo by Joseph Notaro South. Apparently when its cloudy there it resembles Scotland, but it was clear and sunny for us. The only thing to do there is take a tour of the Speight's brewery, so that's what we did. We went in search of answers to New Zealands greatest mystery: why are New Zeland beers only 4%? The tour guide could provide no legitimate excuse, because there are none.
Next we returned to Queenstown for round two. The night we arrived was Horizontal Bungy night at the bar. Basically they strap a real bungy rope around your waste and you run as far forward as you can, grab a litre beer, spring back and skull your beer. The fastest male and female win a free jump off the 134 metre Nevis bungy. Angela thought that sounded like fun so she gave it a try, and she came within one second of setting the "world" record for females. She would have won, but an american girl cheated; typical. Anyways Ang didnt have to jump 134 meters the next day.
The next day Clayton did a 60 metres bungy follwed by a 200 metre swing called the Canyon Swing : www.canyonswing.co.nz
It was
Horizontal Bungy
Ang is Givn'r!
Photo by Joseph Notaro far scarier than skydiving but you cant come to NZ without doing a bungy. So he did it twice. If you go to the website and look up jumpstyles, he did the "Pin Drop" and "the Chair"
After escaping Queenstown a little lighter in the wallet and heavier in the liver, we traveled quietly up the east coast, making stops in Christchurch, Kiakoura and back to the North Island staying in Wellington and Lake Taupo.
Currently we are in Auckland (BOO--URNS!) and tommorow we head off to Waiheke Island for some sun (hopefully) and sand before returning to Auckland for Christmas Eve. Boxing day we will be boarding a plane for the west coast of Australia! See ya soon G + K!
Stay tuned...................
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Glenys
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so envious... the pictures are awesome, the stories are even better, glad you guys are having the time of your life. Way to go Ang, almost beating the World Record for females!! - next time you will take the american!! Clay - keep track of your clothes buddy, or you will be walking around like Scott in the same pair of shorts for 4 months!! Merry Christmas!!