The trip began on the North Island, with a flight from Wellington to Christchurch located on the South Island. The airport is well lets begin as just different from ours, this subject should have its own blog entry and most likely will. Anyway, we got through boarded our tiny aircraft and left Thursday night at sunset. Sunset is just about the most amazing time you can fly. The clouds are all sorts of colors, the water is illuminated below, and everything is just prettier. I cannot believe people get to live here on a daily basis and see this constantly. It is a breathtaking birds eye view. Goodness I get overwhelmed with how lucky I am sometimes. Anyway, we landed and by shear mistake were picked up by a shuttle that should have stopped two hours ago. Their mistake, our benefit. We rode 20minutes into the city talking to our shuttle driver, a young Austrian woman who was on a travel/work year. That in of itself is an amazing concept. A culture in which that is normal. People do take off and travel the world and do not have a corporate job, and it is ok. It is completely normal, and almost expected. I was floored. We arrived at our amazing hostel, crawled into bed, and awoke the smell of freshly baked bread. That is a good start to a morning...however we then met some awful circumstances if you will.That friday morning, we were supposed to meet with our other travel companion who had a later flight and go paragliding. Those things didn't happen at all like they should have. We had an scheduled appointment for 11, and our friend was flying in at 9. Plenty of time. We called our paragliding company and they said they would be at our hostel in 10minutes to pick us up. This is at 9am. Does anyone see the problem with this? The guide arrives, but we insist on waiting. So we wait, and wait, and play cards, and wait more. Finally, the guide says if we dont leave soon you might not get to do this. So what do we do, we leave. Easy decision, back up plans were in place. So far, not the best circumstances, but not the worse. We then drive an hour out in the gergeous country side of South Island New Zealand. Let me just tell you, there is not an inch of this country that isn't amazingly pretty. Not one single inch.We arrived when it was pitch black, unable to see anything. We climbed into our cabin, which was just another name for a hostel, and went to bed.
We woke up early so hike a bit of Mt. Cook, and still make our canyoning excursion in Queenstown that afternoon. We woke, and saw the most amazing sunrise I have seen here. What was once black, was not illuminated by light. It showed the mountains surrounding us, the lake that was before of us, and Mt Cook. It was spectacular. I couldn’t believe that just a few hours before this was all unseeable. We then traveled to Mt. Cook and only had time for a short hour hike. I was going to see some of it. I was determined. We arrived at the viewing point. It was amazing. Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in NZ, shown ahead covered partly by clouds. If you traveled off the platform, you could strain your head just right to see glacier pools. My mind went racing back to Canada and the pools I swam in there. It is amazing what a distinct color they have. We hiked back and then began our drive to queenstown. We booked a 1 oclock canyoning trip, I believe we left around 9:30. It was supposed to take around four hours. We still had to get lunch. This was going to be fun. We raced, I mean raced to Queenstown. I have yet to ever ever drive that fast around that many turns. I was fantastic. We made it in 2.5hrs. Oops. Hehehe. We had plenty of time for lunch. Plenty. We then went canoyining.
Few things to know about our group, we do not do anything that is not fun and we do not do anything that is warm. Canyoning sounds amazing. It is don’t get me wrong, but wet suits and a sub100lb girl pound girl do not work. They just don’t. However, it was fantastic. 6 zip lines, one huge repel, amazing jumps, amazing drops. It was a blast. Along the way we met a man who was traveling around the world for a year with his wife and four year old, and two year old. This man and his wife our my new hero. I do not know how they did it, or are still doing it. I also think that traveling around the world is one of the bravest things in the world. It is adventuresome, and without his family I think otherwise extremely lonely. There was an attitude about life to learn from him. We finished canyoning, went to our hostel, and got ready for an ice bar. Yes an ice bar. I told you all we do is cold related things. I dare this group to go to a hot spring. It wouldn’t happen. So the ice bar, was really amazing. I liked the blueness of it all. That’s what I remember, minus the cold, was how blue it all was. I am completely ok with the color blue. It was spectacular.
We left the ice bar and ate my favorite meal of my entire six weeks. Mexican. Yes, it was crappy compared to just about anywhere in the states. But when you have craving hot sauce, chips and salsa, and non curry rice, any Mexican jumps to the top of the list. I burnt my tastebuds off with how much hot sauced I used, and I was perfectly ok with this. I was thrilled. When I get home mom and dad, can I please get Tequilas? I am putting my request now. That and taco bell, and sweet tea. Lets make these things happen please. Then I experienced my first and what will be only pub crawl. I like the concept, hated the realization of it. Maybe I should try it else where, it just was one experience here that Id be ok not doing again. Funny side note, we did run into a Canadian who was studying some sort of physical therapy over here. Had he not been plastered, I would have questioned him more. Anyway, the funny part is that I ran into him today in Wellington. Small world. We finished the pup crawl and went to bed.
I awoke with this want to do something stupid, something fun, something new. Well what better place that the birthplace of bungee jumping. I signed up. It took about 2 seconds to decide I was doing it, another 2 to realize it was worth the money, and another 2 to give over my credit card. I paid. I was not backing out. Danny and I were the only ones who wanted to do it so we drove out by ourselves. We went to the birthplace, this is where the first person did it. Who decides that bungee jumping is a good idea? Who comes up with the idea to attach a rubberband to their legs and trust enough to jump? A crazy person Ill tell you that I would have loved to have a beer with. They would have some stories to tell. Well, we drove out to the 43meter high bridge. Paid, and didn’t sign a single waiver. This is a good sign. We walked out onto the bridge and within 2 minutes had harnesses on. No backing out. Another minute they were wrapping my legs in a towel and cord. Let me try to put you in my mindset. No time to think about fear, all I can see is water and a towel around my legs. I was no way in heck going to do it if that’s all that was attaching me to a rubber band. Tip to the guide, put the safety clip on first. They did that second. Stupid, why would you have me think even for a few seconds that a towel and a rope sorta tight around my feet was keeping me safe? Dumb. Well anyway, they attached a safety rope to my harness and put me on a ledge over the water. I wanted to touch the water so badly. They said due to my weight I wouldn’t be able to. I was upset. I don’t like when I am told no. Anyway, I stood on a ledge. Look here for a picture. Look here. One, two, three dive. I dove a dive coach white would be proud of. I apparently jumped out as opposed to the normal falling. Oops. It was much better this way. For a second, I was couldn’t comprehend what my body was experiencing. The second second you register the falling. The third second you begin to smile and enjoy it. It was fantastic. I have never had an adrenaline rush like it. It was fantastic. I stopped bouncing, and was pulling to a boat. I couldn’t help but laugh. It was all I knew how to do. It was just incredible. I watched Danny jump. I then bought my pictures. Best decision of my life. I loved having physical evidence that I did it. That I jumped. I am coming back. I need to go tandem, but I am touching that water. It was that amazing. 
We then caught back up with the group and drove to the glaciers. It began to rain, but it didn’t matter. I was still on my amazing high. We arrived at Fox, it was too cloudy to see anything. So we rode onto our hostel near Franz Josef. Dinner, cards, bed. I awoke to a reminder that people are good. It was valentines day, normally I day I don’t necessarily enough. I use to break up with boyfriends before it, then get back together after. It is silly. Anyway, I woke to a present of chocholate from the boy given to me by a friend. That is the most appreciated chocholate I have gotten since well Becky or my mom got me some. I guess I get chocolate a lot, which isn’t a bad thing, I really appreciate it every time. This time especially. We then packed, the rain had cleared so we went to see Franz Josef. I hate to admit but I have seen better. I feel so bad saying that, but I am sorry nothing can compare to Canada. I thank everyone who made that trip special. There is a glacier near Alberta though that will always have a ace trump. It was nice, however, to be reminded of it. Nice hand Franz, Canada has you. We left the glaciers and went on the most pretty drive to date. Everyone, go to New Zealand, and drive on Aurther’s Pass. Go, add a tab, look up flights, and make it happen. It is worth it. I promise.
We arrived back at Christchurch, and flew home. Back to my second valentines gift. That made coming back to Wellington so much better. It is nice to get a little piece of home. This trip was amazing. I have added another five or six things I definitely need to do again or just see. I will be back here, the next time hopefully with a little bit more of home next to me.
We can touch the water.
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