I was able to walk to the bungy site from the hostel but they were about to close so I decided to wait and go back the next day. The walk wasn’t wasted though as I was able to get some great shots of the site and on the way back I found the cheapest most generous fish and chip shop. I had to convince some other backpackers to help me finish the chips as they had given me enough to feed a small army!
The next day I met up with an old friend who had staying in the same place as me when I first arrived in Wellington. It was a complete coincidence that were were not only in Taupo but staying in the same hostel at the same time. We both wanted to do the Tongiriro Crossing but the weather wasn;t looking favourable so she suggested going for a sail on the lake instead. This was something I had seen advertised and was absolutely interested in. After a trip round the beautifully scenice Lake Taupo in a very cool retro boat we headed up to the hot springs we’d been told about by the hostel receptionist but I had a stop to make on my way there. Though not interested in jumping herself my friend was happy to come and support me as I finally got to do my very first bungy jump! It was amazing but over all to quick, I discovered later when watching the video that the girl had actually pushed me hence the extremely short time from "Oh that’s a nice view" to "Aaaaaaaarrrggghhhh!!!!" Now I had been babbling with nerves and I am sure I was annoying but even so I was very disappointed to discover I had been pushed and it did take the shine off of an otherwise great experience. I took the unusual (for me) step of reviewing the place saying how disappointed I was with the service and they did look into it and assure me I had not been pushed but I can't see it myself so we shall have to agree to disagree. I can understand that they thought my nerves might stop me from jumping but to be told the staff are encouraged to ‘assist’ people in case they change their minds did not make me feel any warmer towards them as I feel that if someone changed their minds they should not be forced to jump. Anyway, the point is I got to jump and the fall itself was fabulous. I left determined that one day I would do it again, preferable at Queenstown. There they have New Zealand’s highest bungy and I know from a friends video they give you all the time you need to make the decision to jump yourself.
After the jump it was on to the hot springs for a relaxing afternoon lying in the warm fresh, bubbling water. I also took the opportunity on the walk there to get some long exposure water shot. This was something I’d been wanting to try for a while and was delighted when I managed to capture the silky water effect I’d seen so often. Perhaps mine were just of mini water falls in not too stunning surroundings but the for a fist attempt I was very pleased with myself.
The following day the weather was such that it was still unsafe to do the crossing and also I felt not suitable for skydiving so I contented myself with a lazy stroll round town and a look through the local museum. Here I bumped into my friend and we decided to get some lunch at one of Taupo’s many cafes. It was also another great day for photography. The lake was still beautiful and the cloud provided a great atmosphere for me to practice some low light photography. I was able to indulge in my love of underexposing my photos to get some dramatic effects and whilst the trip wasn’t turning out as planned as usual I was easily finding other ways to make it worthwhile. As well as giving my camera a good workout I joined the a group of backpackers in the lounge every evening, There we wrapped ourselves up in duvets and watched films with tea and wine depending on our mood. As well as introducing some people to the classic film “The Princess Bride ” I was introduced to the New Zealand classic “Once Were Warriors” which was a quiet harrowing but excellent film. It was a lovely break from what had become my normal life back in Wellington.
Sadly the days passed too quickly. Sods law dictated that the day of my departure dawned bright and clear. My friend was off to the Tongiriro Crossing but I was checking out and heading home. Fortunately I mentioned how disappointed I was not to have managed to skydive to the receptionist. Well one phone call later and I was booked on the first jump of the day. I was assured I’d be back in plenty of time for my bus but to be sure I changed my booking to the next one just in case. That done all I had to do was wait and soon enough a friendly bus driver was picking me up to take me to the drop zone! There were four of us jumping and we all decided to go for the higher 15,000ft jump. I decided that as this was my first jump and a long time dream I’d splash out and get the full photo and video package and boy was it worth it. I didn’t stop smiling the whole time. Not even during freefall when my ears were hurting, the view and overall feeling was just too amazing. Having said that the first words post free fall were to comment on the fact that I seemed to have broken my ears. Thankfully though they were a little sore they were working just fine so I was able to follow instructions and attempt to turn the parachute myself. I say attempt as those thing require some strength! In the end I had some help but it was still a very awesome experience and I didn’t stop grinning for days. It was an amazing end to a fabulous trip and though I was soon heading back to reality I felt refreshed and rejuvenated after my time away.
No comments:
Post a Comment