The world's extreme sports capital!
Trip Start
Aug 11, 2005
1
81
150
Trip End
May 22, 2006
Queenstown, New Zealand
Saturday, February 4, 2006
Today we drove about five hours to get ourselves from Mount Cook to Queenstown. Boring? Never! The scenery varied from rolling pastures of cows and sheep, hay fields, tall tree covered mountains, high granite peaks, turquoise rivers and lakes, and quaint little farms. The road kept us on our toes as we wound around the base of the mountains, journey up and down the passes, and crossed one-lane bridges. In some ways it looked like parts of Alberta and BC and at others it was quite distinctively different.
The view from our hostel was sub-standard this time. There was a road between us and the lake. I mean really, we paid NZ$24 each to stay here after all. Couldn't the road have been put on the back side of the hostel?
We arrived in Queenstown with enough time to stroll around the town a bit before heading back for dinner. Queenstown is definitely a must see in NZ. It is surrounded on three sides by tall hills. The fourth side of the town is flanked by a beautiful turquoise mountain lake. In the distance, tall and rocky mountains loom around the city. It is the Banff of NZ. The town itself has kept its mountain resort atmosphere with small shops with cute overhangs. We really enjoyed browsing around.
Gerald barbecued up some great lamb chops, corn on the cob, and zucchini. With our side salad and local beer, we felt like we were feasting like royalty. For the next few hours, we enjoyed the tranquility of the common living room. It was so nicely decorated and the couches were all so comfy. We worked on our journal for quite a while.
A couple of hours into it, I was completely surprised to look up to see that the room was full. It was still so quiet. People were reading, chatting softly, or just relaxing. I think everyone was trying to maximize the opportunity for some space and quiet time. Hostels are fantastic: well-equipped kitchens, lots of hot water for showers, great bedding, and friendly and helpful staff. The only drawback is since so many of us sleep in dorms, we don't really get our own personal space. Sometimes the lounge areas aren't so peaceful. This was like a little oasis for us all.
Feeling like bumps on a log having done so little walking today, Gerald and I donned our fleeces and jackets and headed out into the brisk evening. The brisk five minute walk to the town center kept us warm from the cool breeze coming off of the lake. In town, we slowed our pace, enjoying some window shopping and popping into some pubs to see if we would like to hang out for a beer. Chocolate ended up being our vice tonight. There is a fantastic chocolate shop here with all sorts of slabs of yummy chocolate combinations. I think it is a bylaw of every ski resort town to have a chocolate shop. With so much choice it was so hard to make a decision. By the time we placed our order, we practically had drool rolling down our chins. Milk chocolate with Citrus was my treat whereas Gerald chose a Milk Chocolate with Pecans, Almonds, and Citrus. Citrus and chocolate, you say? It's quite delicious as a matter of fact. The chocolate was a perfect end to a perfectly lovely and relaxed day.
February 4 - 7,000 Foot Free Fall
"Just scooch your butt out until you can't feel the plane anymore. Push your legs back so that you can feel the bar at the back of your calves. Lean back into me, turn your head to the right and smile. Hold onto your harness until you feel me tap you twice on the shoulders and then you can spread your arms out. Most importantly, relax and have fun. That's all you need to know for now." Richard has done this over 12,000 times and knows just what he's doing. Amazing that these instructions are all we need to know.
You'd think that jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet would require a bit more training, but apparently not.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I screamed. Gerald just remembers sucking in his breath and emitting a fearful moan while having to fight an urge to throw up.
Yup, we did it. We jumped out of a plane, in tandem (with an instructor, not with each other!) from 12, 000 feet and have lived to tell the story. With the choice of a 9,000 foot jump providing 30 seconds of freefall or 12,000 feet with 45 seconds of freefall; the choice was easy. Go big or go home.
45 seconds of falling to the earth with no parachute! Just falling. What an adrenaline rush! We both remember relaxing once we got used to the idea that we were falling. Gerald was looking around a lot while Richard pointed out some places to him. Since I was being photographed and videoed, I was trying to appreciate the scenery as well as looking at the photographer as much as possible.
We both remember watching the ground approach with the lakes and rivers and mountains getting bigger. Gerald can remember not being able to see as far on the horizon. Watching the video, the ground doesn't look that far away at the beginning of the jump until we realize that it is not ground that we're seeing but the tops of mountains!
After 45 seconds, Richard deployed the parachute. Only a couple seconds before that Gerald thought, "Hang on here, if that parachute doesn't open I have about ten seconds left to live." Once deployed, Gerald relaxed and thanked God. He then really relaxed and looked around.
Me, I was too into the moment, but when the parachute opened and the camera man continued to fall away from us, we had the sensation of actually going upwards. The weightlessness of the parachuting kind of freaked me out. I admit that I was a little more than scared at this point. Richard calmed me and then asked if I got motion sickness. I love all roller coasters so I answered, "Not usually. I want the ride of my life." He then manoeuvred the parachute so that our bodies flipped around a bit. Very cool. Amazing how they can control where they go.
Both of our landings were smooth as silk. Richard told us what to do when landing just before the landing. "Simply hold your legs straight out and up as high as you can. If it is a bumpy landing, we may have to run. If it is too quick, we'll skid on our butts. Or if it is okay, I'll tell you when to stand." Luckily, we both had gentle landings and just had to lower our feet to stand up straight.
Two days later, we still cannot believe that we did it. I don't think our brains have even had enough time to process it. In fact, that night while trying to sleep, I could feel my bum not touching the plane anymore and for the first time, I could remember the first instant of falling. We're continually asking each other if it is really real, did we really jump out of a plane at 12,000 feet? Yup, we did.
What makes two almost sane people decide to do this? Well, I've always been fascinated and been a bit of an adrenaline junky for wild carnival rides. Queenstown is the capital of andrenaline pumping activities: bungy jumping, white water rafting and boarding, canyon swings, sky-diving and a bunch of winter insanities. This morning while hiking up Queenstown hill, we watched some sky divers. "I'd really love to do it." Gerald didn't hesitate a bit. He encouraged me to do it if I really wanted to. He said that he had no interest whatsoever. By the end of the hike, we'd decided to look into a dive for Monday.
Upon talking with the very informed guy at the YHA where we stayed the night before, we realized that since the weather was truly superb today, we'd be better off going today if we could. While he was talking to "Big Daddy" on the phone, he asked if there'd be room in the plane for a passenger ie. Gerald. At this point, Gerald was starting to contemplate it. The guy then verified (for the second or third time) with Gerald that he wasn't jumping. Imagine how surprised I was to hear Gerald blurt, "I'll jump. Yup, I'm jumping for sure." The YHA guy assured us that this was a great idea that we were experiencing it together. Twenty minutes later, we were picked up and headed to Cromwell to Big Daddy's airstrip.
In the end, we're really glad that we did. Gerald is sooooo happy that, on the spur of the moment, he went for it and very glad that he didn't have more time to think about it. I'm elated that we both jumped. How cool is that?
Our only hiccup was that in our excitement, we forgot to ask what time we'd return to Queenstown. As it turned out, we didn't get back to our car until almost 6pm and only then realized that we had a five hour (not three as we thought) drive to get us to Milford Sound tonight, where we'd booked and paid for our room. Because Milford Sound doesn't have any grocery facilities, we made a mad dash around the grocery store picking up supplies for a couple of days. Within a half hour, we were on the road trying to make it to the backpackers before their reception closed at 11pm.
We stopped once for a quick call to assure them that we were coming and another five minute stop to fill up on gas, not wanting to run out of gas on our way back in a couple of days.
We drove safely, in the dark, on a great paved road that had markers all along it. By the time we hit the mountainous area, it was dark. Good thing too. The next day when we drove back to do a couple of walks, Gerald shuddered and said that he was sure glad that it was dark otherwise he would have been quite scared driving along the road. In many places, there were steep cliffs dropping hundreds of meters and in others, rock walls towering over us with boulders looking as if they were about to tumble down on us.
With eight minutes to spare, we drove up to the lodge, checked in, and made it to our room. About two minutes later, the lights went out. As there is limited electricity in Milford Sound, the lodge runs on a generator that is off from 11pm to 6:30 am. When we realized that there was only a fitted sheet and a pillow on the bed, we hoped that our sleep sheets would keep us warm. We figured we would be as the room was small and quite warm.
February 3 - Queenstown
Today we drove about five hours to get ourselves from Mount Cook to Queenstown. Boring? Never! The scenery varied from rolling pastures of cows and sheep, hay fields, tall tree covered mountains, high granite peaks, turquoise rivers and lakes, and quaint little farms. The road kept us on our toes as we wound around the base of the mountains, journey up and down the passes, and crossed one-lane bridges. In some ways it looked like parts of Alberta and BC and at others it was quite distinctively different.
The view from our hostel was sub-standard this time. There was a road between us and the lake. I mean really, we paid NZ$24 each to stay here after all. Couldn't the road have been put on the back side of the hostel?
We arrived in Queenstown with enough time to stroll around the town a bit before heading back for dinner. Queenstown is definitely a must see in NZ. It is surrounded on three sides by tall hills. The fourth side of the town is flanked by a beautiful turquoise mountain lake. In the distance, tall and rocky mountains loom around the city. It is the Banff of NZ. The town itself has kept its mountain resort atmosphere with small shops with cute overhangs. We really enjoyed browsing around.
Gerald barbecued up some great lamb chops, corn on the cob, and zucchini. With our side salad and local beer, we felt like we were feasting like royalty. For the next few hours, we enjoyed the tranquility of the common living room. It was so nicely decorated and the couches were all so comfy. We worked on our journal for quite a while.
A couple of hours into it, I was completely surprised to look up to see that the room was full. It was still so quiet. People were reading, chatting softly, or just relaxing. I think everyone was trying to maximize the opportunity for some space and quiet time. Hostels are fantastic: well-equipped kitchens, lots of hot water for showers, great bedding, and friendly and helpful staff. The only drawback is since so many of us sleep in dorms, we don't really get our own personal space. Sometimes the lounge areas aren't so peaceful. This was like a little oasis for us all.
Feeling like bumps on a log having done so little walking today, Gerald and I donned our fleeces and jackets and headed out into the brisk evening. The brisk five minute walk to the town center kept us warm from the cool breeze coming off of the lake. In town, we slowed our pace, enjoying some window shopping and popping into some pubs to see if we would like to hang out for a beer. Chocolate ended up being our vice tonight. There is a fantastic chocolate shop here with all sorts of slabs of yummy chocolate combinations. I think it is a bylaw of every ski resort town to have a chocolate shop. With so much choice it was so hard to make a decision. By the time we placed our order, we practically had drool rolling down our chins. Milk chocolate with Citrus was my treat whereas Gerald chose a Milk Chocolate with Pecans, Almonds, and Citrus. Citrus and chocolate, you say? It's quite delicious as a matter of fact. The chocolate was a perfect end to a perfectly lovely and relaxed day.
February 4 - 7,000 Foot Free Fall
"Just scooch your butt out until you can't feel the plane anymore. Push your legs back so that you can feel the bar at the back of your calves. Lean back into me, turn your head to the right and smile. Hold onto your harness until you feel me tap you twice on the shoulders and then you can spread your arms out. Most importantly, relax and have fun. That's all you need to know for now." Richard has done this over 12,000 times and knows just what he's doing. Amazing that these instructions are all we need to know.
You'd think that jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet would require a bit more training, but apparently not.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I screamed. Gerald just remembers sucking in his breath and emitting a fearful moan while having to fight an urge to throw up.
Yup, we did it. We jumped out of a plane, in tandem (with an instructor, not with each other!) from 12, 000 feet and have lived to tell the story. With the choice of a 9,000 foot jump providing 30 seconds of freefall or 12,000 feet with 45 seconds of freefall; the choice was easy. Go big or go home.
45 seconds of falling to the earth with no parachute! Just falling. What an adrenaline rush! We both remember relaxing once we got used to the idea that we were falling. Gerald was looking around a lot while Richard pointed out some places to him. Since I was being photographed and videoed, I was trying to appreciate the scenery as well as looking at the photographer as much as possible.
We both remember watching the ground approach with the lakes and rivers and mountains getting bigger. Gerald can remember not being able to see as far on the horizon. Watching the video, the ground doesn't look that far away at the beginning of the jump until we realize that it is not ground that we're seeing but the tops of mountains!
After 45 seconds, Richard deployed the parachute. Only a couple seconds before that Gerald thought, "Hang on here, if that parachute doesn't open I have about ten seconds left to live." Once deployed, Gerald relaxed and thanked God. He then really relaxed and looked around.
Me, I was too into the moment, but when the parachute opened and the camera man continued to fall away from us, we had the sensation of actually going upwards. The weightlessness of the parachuting kind of freaked me out. I admit that I was a little more than scared at this point. Richard calmed me and then asked if I got motion sickness. I love all roller coasters so I answered, "Not usually. I want the ride of my life." He then manoeuvred the parachute so that our bodies flipped around a bit. Very cool. Amazing how they can control where they go.
Both of our landings were smooth as silk. Richard told us what to do when landing just before the landing. "Simply hold your legs straight out and up as high as you can. If it is a bumpy landing, we may have to run. If it is too quick, we'll skid on our butts. Or if it is okay, I'll tell you when to stand." Luckily, we both had gentle landings and just had to lower our feet to stand up straight.
Two days later, we still cannot believe that we did it. I don't think our brains have even had enough time to process it. In fact, that night while trying to sleep, I could feel my bum not touching the plane anymore and for the first time, I could remember the first instant of falling. We're continually asking each other if it is really real, did we really jump out of a plane at 12,000 feet? Yup, we did.
What makes two almost sane people decide to do this? Well, I've always been fascinated and been a bit of an adrenaline junky for wild carnival rides. Queenstown is the capital of andrenaline pumping activities: bungy jumping, white water rafting and boarding, canyon swings, sky-diving and a bunch of winter insanities. This morning while hiking up Queenstown hill, we watched some sky divers. "I'd really love to do it." Gerald didn't hesitate a bit. He encouraged me to do it if I really wanted to. He said that he had no interest whatsoever. By the end of the hike, we'd decided to look into a dive for Monday.
Upon talking with the very informed guy at the YHA where we stayed the night before, we realized that since the weather was truly superb today, we'd be better off going today if we could. While he was talking to "Big Daddy" on the phone, he asked if there'd be room in the plane for a passenger ie. Gerald. At this point, Gerald was starting to contemplate it. The guy then verified (for the second or third time) with Gerald that he wasn't jumping. Imagine how surprised I was to hear Gerald blurt, "I'll jump. Yup, I'm jumping for sure." The YHA guy assured us that this was a great idea that we were experiencing it together. Twenty minutes later, we were picked up and headed to Cromwell to Big Daddy's airstrip.
In the end, we're really glad that we did. Gerald is sooooo happy that, on the spur of the moment, he went for it and very glad that he didn't have more time to think about it. I'm elated that we both jumped. How cool is that?
Our only hiccup was that in our excitement, we forgot to ask what time we'd return to Queenstown. As it turned out, we didn't get back to our car until almost 6pm and only then realized that we had a five hour (not three as we thought) drive to get us to Milford Sound tonight, where we'd booked and paid for our room. Because Milford Sound doesn't have any grocery facilities, we made a mad dash around the grocery store picking up supplies for a couple of days. Within a half hour, we were on the road trying to make it to the backpackers before their reception closed at 11pm.
We stopped once for a quick call to assure them that we were coming and another five minute stop to fill up on gas, not wanting to run out of gas on our way back in a couple of days.
We drove safely, in the dark, on a great paved road that had markers all along it. By the time we hit the mountainous area, it was dark. Good thing too. The next day when we drove back to do a couple of walks, Gerald shuddered and said that he was sure glad that it was dark otherwise he would have been quite scared driving along the road. In many places, there were steep cliffs dropping hundreds of meters and in others, rock walls towering over us with boulders looking as if they were about to tumble down on us.
With eight minutes to spare, we drove up to the lodge, checked in, and made it to our room. About two minutes later, the lights went out. As there is limited electricity in Milford Sound, the lodge runs on a generator that is off from 11pm to 6:30 am. When we realized that there was only a fitted sheet and a pillow on the bed, we hoped that our sleep sheets would keep us warm. We figured we would be as the room was small and quite warm.
