If you are an adrenaline junky, book your flight to Queenstown, New Zealand right now. I can’t imagine that there is anywhere else in the world where you can do so many thrilling things in an absolutely stunning setting. Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding Remarkable mountain range are breathtaking. The scenery changes depending on the weather and it’s beautiful rain or shine. We arrived quite tired from our 6AM flight from Tasmania and didn’t do much on our first night in NZ other than enjoy a short walk by the lake, have some good beer and burgers, and do laundry. We had booked a private room at Bungi Backpackers and were surprised when we showed up and had a one room cabin in the backyard. We were also a bit surprised how young all of the other people staying there were. Over the past several months, we’ve stayed at plenty of hostels, and often felt a bit older than the average age, but this time we felt it more than usual. It probably was magnified when we went inside just before 10PM to brush our teeth and one of the hostel workers said to us, “Don’t worry, quiet hours begin soon.”. How do they know we are going to bed?, maybe we were brushing our teeth before we started the dance party (we were actually going to bed).
The next day we picked up my godmother Sharon and cousin Knox at the airport. They took three flights and traveled half way around the globe to meet us in New Zealand! It was so wonderful to see their smiling faces as it had been over eight months since we had seen them. I still can’t believe what rockstars they are because it seems as though they weren’t hit by jet lag at all. They never complained about being tired and we never slowed down during their 12 day visit.
Knox and Sharon with Jake at Queenstown airport. I was so happy to see their faces!
After checking in and a quick freshening up, we took the Skyline Gondola to the top of Bob’s Peak. The view from the top was incredible even though it was hindered a bit by clouds and rain. There’s a small theater at the peak where we participated in a Maori show. We did not not know beforehand that we’d be participating, but it was a small crowd and at separate times they got all of the women, and then all of the men onstage. My sides hurt from laughing while Jake and Knox performed a Maori ceremony. Maori are the native New Zealanders who migrated from Polynesia. There many Maori and tribes around New Zealand today, and have had a significant influence on the culture. We hope to learn more throughout our stay.
Sharon and I at the top of Bob's Peak in Queenstown, New Zealand
The following day we went on a half day white water rafting adventure down the Shotover river. I was the only one of the four of us that had never been white water rafting before and my first experience left me wanting more: I can’t wait to go again. We went on a few class three rapids, a four and a five. I thought it was going to be much more terrifying than it actually was. There were eight of us on the raft including the guide and our guide was both good at his job and entertaining. I was amazed at how he consistently anticipated what we needed to do to avoid the rock walls we were surrounded by and he told a lot of bad jokes. The river was very cold but it was hot out and enjoyed jumping in and out of the raft a few times to cool off. Luckily none of us fell out of the raft when going through the rapids, only out of the raft on our own terms.
Me, Jake and Sharon getting ready to white water raft on the Shotover river. Knox was taking the photo.
Thinking that we might be freezing after rafting, I booked us an hour at the Onsen Hot Pools. We had our own private hot spring tub for an hour overlooking incredible scenery. It was a nice way to end the day!
Sharon, Knox and Jake warming up in the hot spring. There was a retractable door in this room if we wanted it down for any reason. Check out that view!
I had not planned on the four of us skydiving together but once Sharon and Knox arrived I learned that they both really wanted to go. Sharon had been once before and loved it and Knox had always wanted to go. It’s something I really wanted to do in New Zealand and had already convinced Jake to join me because I didn’t want to have that experience without him. So, the four of us signed up in town and after waiting an annoying amount of time to load up the van, we headed out of town to the jump sight. After waiting there for awhile, we learned that they weren’t doing any more jumps due to high winds. We were disappointed to have wasted about three hours of our day, but were able to sign up for the next day. Of course we couldn’t predict what the weather would be like, but we thought we’d give it one last attempt before leaving Queenstown for Te Anau. I couldn’t believe that I was going to have to go through all the pre-jump anxiety all over again. I don’t know how Jake and Knox slept that night because the next day they were also going to catapult themselves off of the worlds highest cliff jump. Sharon and I had no interest in that activity and after watching them do it, I still don’t. I imagine that to some people, it makes no sense that I’d jump out of a plane but not do a bungy-type jump. What can I say? For some reason, jumping out of a plane tandem style from 15,000 feet seems so much less terrifying that jumping by myself from 358 feet, attached to a bungy. No thank you. I felt sick to my stomach as Jake and Knox prepared to jump. What if something happened and I watched them jump to their death? I was so happy when it was over. They both loved it.
Jake on his way back up post-jump.
As for skydiving, I really wish I could say that it was one of the best experiences of my life and that I loved every second of it. I did like it, and I will do it again, but the thing I’ll always remember most about that first jump was how much it hurt. I’ve never ever felt pain like that in my ears before and thought that my ear drums were definitely going to explode. The second almost equally as painful part was how tight the harness was holding me. My arms, my legs, everything felt like it was being pinched. I should back up though. Even though I genuinely wanted to skydive, in the hours leading up to it, I was visibly terrified while Sharon, Knox and Jake were cool as can be. For one second, after I had the jumpsuit on and was waiting in the hanger, I thought I might not go. Luckily that passed and after the small plane with 18 of us on it took off, I started to get excited. I was definitely still nervous, but as we ascended and you had the view of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, I looked forward to seeing that from midair.
I had imagined that we’d be all hanging out in the plane giving high fives sitting down with our backs against the sides of the plane. Just like the movies, right? No, not at all. 16 of us crunched in together all facing one direction. Super tight quarters. Picture your self sitting down with someone you don’t know between your legs like you are going to give them a shoulder massage.
Another reason the overall experience wasn’t spectacular for me was because the guy who I jumped with previously had all the personality sucked out of him. He barely talked to me. He didn’t make me feel comfortable or excited for the jump, didn’t point things out to me, nothing. All around me I could see other first-timers talking to their jump buddy. I tried talking to him a few times and quickly realized there was no point, he was not a fun person. I did feel comfortable jumping with him though as he had logged over 19,000 skydives. Before ascending to 15,000 feet, we let out six people (tandem) at 12,000 feet. It was surreal to see the door open and two by two they fell out of the plane. It was really cool, not scary. Our next stop was 15,000 feet where Sharon would go first due to her position in the plane. It was a weird experience to watch your aunt fall out of a plane. Next up was me and I think I’m glad that I went before Jake. We shimmied over to the plane’s edge and since I was in front and attached to my skydive buddy, I was kind of already out of the plane. I don’t remember being scared, just excited. It was weird looking out of the plane at that point because all you saw were clouds. Before I knew it, we were freefalling. Because we were above the clouds, there was no awesome view yet, but it didn’t require a view, the experience was incredible enough on its own. I wonder what it would have been like if there was a view? Would I have been scared seeing what was below me and how far I was from land?
My ears didn’t hurt instantly, but as we freefell, the pressure continued to build. The freefall lasted for approximately 60 seconds and as soon as it ended I was able to equalize my ears. It wasn’t anything like any other time I’ve equalized my ears. It hurt each time and I was still equalizing for quite some time after my feet were on the ground. When the parachute went up not only was I able to start equalizing, but I also able to enjoy the spectacular scenery. New Zealand, and Queenstown in particular is breathtaking. The various shades of blue throughout Lake Wakatipu and the rock formations of the Remarkable mountain range are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Taking in the views as I drifted back down to earth was special. If only I didn’t feel like my head was going to explode and the harness wasn’t too tight. I guess I should have spoken up about the harness and maybe he could have loosened it, but given how miserable he seemed, I didn’t feel like I should say anything at all. Although it hurt so much, I was surprised at how quickly we were back on the ground. I wished that I could have enjoyed the views from that perspective longer. The landing was nice and smooth and quickly after, Sharon and Knox were on the ground with me. Jake was the last one to hit the ground and I was extremely happy when I saw him safe and sound. Originally, he had been hesitant to go skydiving with me and I was pleased when the first thing out of his mouth post-jump was, “We are definitely doing that again."
Luckily Sharon splurged on a video of the experience so although this isn’t my jump, you can see the plane, the landscape and her skydive. Watch the video, it’s great. I can see why I got voted class actress in high school because I don’t look like I’m freaking out in this video and I definitely was.
Jake's Thoughts on Cliff Jumping and Skydiving
I’ve always had mixed emotions about jumping off a cliff attached to a cord or leaping out of an airplane with a nylon tarp strapped to my back. One one hand, there is a part of me that feels as though I can do anything. I may be afraid, but I can overcome the fear. If someone else can do it, so can I. Not only am I proving something to myself, but I am not ashamed to admit that I want to impress others. As I get older that part of me is fading. I no longer have as much drive to prove anything to myself or others. I have less desire to take a risk for an adrenaline rush. Besides, why would I purposely put myself in a dangerous situation for no tangible benefit, let alone pay money for it? When I do the cost-benefit analysis of these activities, it is difficult to come up with a positive ROI. Well, my 18 year old macho self recently won that internal struggle.
From the safety of a couple months prior, and in a different country, I told Jesslyn that I wanted to bungee jump in New Zealand. I think it was a passing feeling and could have been the result of some liquid courage. When Jesslyn’s cousin Knox and aunt Sharon met up with us in New Zealand, Knox was eager to fling himself from a cliff, but neither Jesslyn, nor Sharon had any interest. Jesslyn and I were in Queenstown a day before Sharon and Knox, and so we stopped by the office to sign up. I saw some of the videos, then tried to back out citing the cost as the reason. Jesslyn informed me that I needed to do it so that Knox wouldn’t be doing it alone (BTW, he would have been fine on his own). Before I knew it, I was standing on the edge of a cliff being harnessed up. This isn't actually a bungee, it is a canyon swing. It is similar in that you jump and free fall straight down, but at the bottom instead of bouncing straight up, you swing to the side, and you are fastened to a harness in your midsection, not from your ankles. Being harnessed this way allows you to jump in a variety of ways. They get creative and allow you to get pushed off backwards in a chair, knocked off by being kicked in the chest (called the Spartan), do flips, ride a tricycle off, slide off... the list goes on. This is the Shotover Canyon swing near Queenstown, which purports to be the highest cliff jump in the world at 358 feet above the river below, with 197 feet of straight down free fall (there are much higher bungee jumps, but they go from either a bridge or a platform suspended from cables in the middle of a canyon). On the walk to the platform, I asked the guy working there what is the best way to jump. He said it was the "pin drop". It's not fancy, but it is the most intense, with a 5 out of 5 underwear fear factor rating (not joking, that is how they rate the jumps, with underwear, not stars). He explained that when you start adding props and flips, the free fall experience is diminished. The pin drop is simply hopping sideways off the edge of the platform feet first, with your hands behind your back.
As I was getting ready to jump, and as others were jumping ahead of me, I was able to tamp my fear down, and appear to be cool. The fear really set in when I was standing right on the edge, looking down. What makes this scarier than skydiving is that you are high, but close enough to the ground that it looks like the ground, and you get that dizzy feeling when you look down over a tall ledge. Even worse, I had to jump on my own will. The attendant was unlatching and latching up carabiners connected to cables and my harness, then nonchalantly simply told me, "whenever you're ready", to which I replied, "whenever I'm ready?". He said, "yes, whenever you're ready". I had noticed a blue colored tether attached to the platform and to the cable, that appeared as though it needed to be undone before I could go, so I then asked "what about that tether?", to which he replied, "don't worry about that tether, let me worry about that tether". I then said "whenever I'm ready?", to which the reply was exactly the same as the first time I asked. I figured that was enough stalling and I had no other option, so I jumped. Those first few seconds of free fall were terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. It was an incredible rush like I have never felt before. The free fall is over so quickly, but you get a nice big swing at the end, with the picturesque scenery of the river and canyon. It was awesome, and I would do it over and over again if it weren't for the cost. However, I don't think the experience of that first jump could be duplicated. Well... maybe if I did one of those super high bungees? :)
A series of photos from my cliff jump.
Here's the video Jesslyn took of me doing the canyon swing. The best part is Jesslyn's commentary. If you want to see more pics and video, you can see them on the company website here.
Just in case that wasn't enough of an adrenaline rush, all four of us went skydiving later that same day. Sharon was a seasoned veteran, having done it once before. It was the first time for Knox, Jesslyn, and me. I wasn't as nervous about skydiving for some reason, perhaps I was still on a natural high from the canyon swing, or maybe I needed to be calm to help offset Jesslyn's fear. She was the one that really wanted to do this, but now as we are getting into our jump suits, she is acting like she might back out. As we sit around waiting for the plane, there is a lot of time to think about what we are about to do. Then, all of a sudden, the plane is ready, and we are being herded on. It is a small plane, with eight customers, and eight instructors all crammed in the back, sitting on the floor in two rows straddling each other like we were going to give the person in front of us a back massage. On the way up, you can't really talk to each other because of the noise of the plane and the position we are sitting in. As we ascended, we were treated to magnificent scenery of jagged mountain peaks and bright blue lakes, as the instructors tighten up our harnesses and secure them to their own. We made our way up further into the clouds, then popped up above them to clear blue skies. At 12,000 feet, a red light went on, then a green light. The first tandem group shimmied over to the door, and boom, disappeared. Then the second, then the third tandem group were out the door. We continued our ascent up to 15,000 feet, and again, the red light, then the green light. Sharon was the first to jump at that altitude. Then Jesslyn, then Knox, then someone I didn't know. It was weird seeing the first group go at 12,000 feet, and stranger still to see someone you know and love vanish. My instructor and I were the last ones to go. We shimmied over to the door and sat on the edge. I was scared, but not as much as I thought I would be. As I looked down, all I could see were the white clouds, so I didn't have that feeling of vertigo. The instructor said, "ready?", I said, "yup", then he said "one, two, three...", pause... then he pushed us out of the plane. Once again, it was those first few seconds of free fall that were such an extreme rush. As soon as we left the plane, we tumbled head over heals until stabilizing into that position you imagine, belly down with arms out and legs bent behind. As we fell like that for a minute, we descended into the clouds, then out of them and once again had that view, this time with nothing between us. I wasn't really nervous at this point. It was such an exhilarating feeling and beautiful sight, I forgot about the possibility of the parachute not working. I got a little tap on the shoulder, then - poof - the parachute opened. The rest of the ride down was also fantastic as we glided through the air taking in the surroundings. We did some tight, fast circles just for fun, but I could only take a few of those before I felt like I was going to hurl. The landing was on our butts in a grassy field and couldn't have been smoother. After landing, I jumped up, found Jesslyn and said, "we are definitely doing that again".
- Jake
It’s been nice being back in a country where English is the first language. We had no problem communicating where it wasn’t, but it’s nice to speak the same language. I’m also enjoying the cuisine here. Menu’s are more like what you’d see back home, although, there are more french fries here. I didn’t think that was possible, but they are served with everything. I have to start restricting myself because they are one of my favorite foods but I don’t have money for larger sized clothes. I’ll definitely back off during our campervan days when we’ll be cooking much more than eating out.
As you can tell, we are very behind on the blog. It’s only because we have been so busy exploring and enjoying what might be the most beautiful country on earth. More to come regarding our travels through the south of New Zealand with Sharon and Knox.
~ Jesslyn