TravelStream™ news feed for member johnbrianmess on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/johnbrianmess en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:08:45 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1203941580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1203941580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1203941580/tpod.html Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:08:45 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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London, United Kingdom

I arrived home on the 25th February 2008 at 10am. Jetlagged and disorientated, I was gladly reunited with my parents and sister at Heathrow airport.

I have been allowed, for a short time, the privilege of spontaneity and travel. It's been one of the most remarkable and life changing experiences of my life.

I was asked by a taxi driver in New York, who like many Americans, had not left his own country, and found it hard to comprehend the idea of world travel.
"What have you leaned from all this?"

At the time I mumbled something about self reliance and new experiences.
I guess in the beginning, like most holidays, things start off hedonistically.. which was fun, but gradually I've made it more of a mission to learn something from what I was doing, what I was looking for.

I've learned to be more open to other opinions and points of view from the people I have met. In this way, I've also met far more people, learning to be more approachable and confident after years of London living. Traveling alone, which although can be tough at times, is the best way to meet new people and experience travel to the full. You are more able to get into adventures and make those random decisions that give you those experiences that travel is all about.

Some of the most generous people I met were also the poorest. These same people were also the happiest. I've never been particularly obsessed about money, but then again, I've never been poor! But it was humbling to see people earning $2 per day, seeming so care-free, yet acting so generously.

I've seen some of the wonders of the world, from Angkor Wat to the Golden Gate Bridge, then on to the mile-deep Grand Canyon. I've also made some great friends- some I'll never forget, and had some experiences that will always make me smile when I think of them!

I've been extremely lucky to be able to do what I've done- to give up work and all responsibilities and travel for 5 months on my own. But I would advise anyone with the circumstances, time and money, to do it at all costs. Money can be replaced. Time and memories cannot!

Next destination...?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1203438600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1203438600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1203438600/tpod.html Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:00:50 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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New York City, New York, United States

I arrived in New York with a shock to the system that temperatures of -4 bring after I've been chasing the summer this far. Of course, totally unprepared, with only a single jumper and pair of jeans to my name, I compensated by wearing all my t-shirts at the same time before venturing out into Manhattan to find my hostel.

The last time I visited New York was some 17 years ago, when I was 15 years old. It doesn't feel as edgy as it did then, but then again, maybe that comes from living in Manchester and London for 15 years! The impact of 9/11 is still very evident and it was sad to see the scar of ground zero still under construction, and the skyline looking like it was missing teeth. The enormity of what happened here is only really apparent when you see the pictures of the thousands of victims on the walls of the exhibition. Each one of these had a family and friends who were devastated by their death, making the direct impact many more times then the direct victims. Let alone the wars that followed.

After hurrying down the shops to get myself a jacket, jumpers, hat and gloves, I did the usual tourist things- the Rockefeller Center, Liberty Island, Ellis Island. But I also went to take in the place where John Lennon was shot- I guess I was in a morbid mood with the cold weather! It showed how much this man meant to New York, with the local Strawberry Fields and flowers still being left there.

I also took in the Guggenheim Museum. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is a building I've always wanted to see. Rather then design a gallery as a series of box rooms, the gallery is one large internal continuous spiral ramp, 6 stories high, to the outside of which the art is displayed. It was an unusual approach to gallery design, especially in New York, and was revolutionary, however it does have its critics who say the spiral is not conducive to hanging of art work.

The nightlife here is also amazing. I went out on my own on 2 occasions (Billy) but quickly made friends with the locals, including a Colombian girl who insisted on showing me around the lesser known parts of the city the following days, which I accepted!

Adriana took me to the Lower East Side and it's many bars, as well as to some parks in the area that had been used in many films. On the final few days, the weather turned and one of the heaviest snowstorms of the year to hit New York resulted in 8" of snow. It was fantastic to see New York in this way, with a topping of white making the city seem temporarily pristine. It even brought the humor out of New Yorkers, with some random snowball fighting going on!

Leaving New York was a surreal and slightly sad experience, as the next stop was home. Of course, I was excited about getting home to see my family and friends, but I was saying goodbye to an era of my life- to one of the most amazing things I think I'll ever do.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1202969280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1202969280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1202969280/tpod.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:52:47 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

I arrived on a windy Wednesday, with turbulence all the way from San Francisco. The city came out of the middle of a desolate desert- just like in the movies. It really is a machine for extracting money from people, in the middle of nowhere!

On my first night, I decided to head from the downtown area of Vegas, a slightly rougher end of town, to The Strip, where the newer areas of the more commercial casinos and hotels are located- the hub of activity out here. Instead of taking the bus as everyone suggested, and thinking I knew better, I decided to walk to the strip.

Naive! As I headed away from downtown to what I thought was the strip, darkness came quickly, as did a severe sandstorm. And little did I know, that due to this, I was walking away from the strip, and into the very dangerous areas of the outskirts. One or two homeless people soon became a multitude, lining the streets where I walked, shouting some incomprehensible profanities at me. I of course reacted in my tried and tested way- I donned a cap and sunglasses (even though this meant I could hardly see) and tried my hardest to look menacing, whilst walking as quickly as possible. For of you who know me, looking hard is not my best talent! To top is all, there was a power cut due to the storm, plunging the area into darkness, meaning I was virtually blind in one of the dangerous situations I've been in on my travels. Having negotiated Cambodia and Vietnam, that's saying something!

Soon, out of the gloom of the sandstorm, and with my mouth and ears rapidly filling up with sand, the golden arches of Mc Donald's appeared! Never been so happy to see it in my life! I dived in and bought myself a milkshake and a cheeseburger to steady my nerves with a sugar rush, and asked the staff in my most polite English to call a cab for me. Needless to say, I took the cab home to the hostel, thinking if my luck was this bad in getting to a casino, I don't think I'll be in much luck once I get there! Not a great start, but I think I'll look back on this and laugh!
Cabs all the way from now on!

The following day, I took a trip to the Grand Canyon- One of my main reasons for visiting Las Vegas. To avoid a 12 hour round trip and get a better view of it, I paid the extra for a flight and tour with Papion alrlines to the west rim. This is in the deepest part of the canyon, but is also slightly more developed, having the 'skywalk' etc.

The flight was on a small 20 person propellor plane, which flew low over the canyon as we approached, showing its huge depth , taking millions of years for the river to carve out. The weather was perfect, allowing us to see for miles. The scale of it was breathtaking! After landing on the West rim, we spent some time walking around, going on the Skywalk, and trying not to stand too close to the edge as there's no protection from a 4000m drop! After taking in the dramatic beauty of the place for 3 hours and another all-you-can-eat buffet lunch (I often wondered why Americans are often overweight, and I think the all-you-can-eat concept is a significant factor!), we got back on board and flew into Vegas just as the sun was setting and the lights of the casinos were just coming on.

And so, it was finally time to hit the casinos, and loose some money. I headed to the classic- Ceasar's Palace- to try my hand at Blackjack. I still like to think of it as Pontoon, even to the extent of saying 'stick' or 'twist', which the dealer didn't really understand. Anyway, taking to the table the most I was prepared to loose, ($60), and taking full advantage of the free drinks, I soon found myself slightly inebriated and having accumulated over $200! Beginners luck, I guess, until I continued to play and lost the lot over an hour later! It's true what they say- in the end, they get it all! Still, fun while it lasted! I spent the rest of my time wondering while I didn't quit at the top, wondering around the casinos here, which are garish, immense and obscene buildings, designed for one thing- taking your money!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1202677140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1202677140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1202677140/tpod.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:24:35 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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San Francisco, California, United States

San Francisco has all the best that America can offer- Good food, friendly educated people, great weather and a sense of culture, coolness and taste.

My first night started with the Hostel pub crawl. Here I made a few friends from the hostel, including an Australian girl called Megan, who I spent the next few days with. Went on huge walk the next day, taking in the major sights, including the Trans America Pyramid building, which I was strangely fascinated by. By the end of the day, we were pretty exhausted, as most of the walking involved hills and some vicious inclines! We therefore decided we deserved a visit to a traditional American Diner, complete with dining booths, and huge menu and unlimited refills on coffee!

The following day, we were joined by Rob, a guy who'd traveled with me throughout New Zealand. As he was getting to grips with the city, Megan and me hired bikes for the day to cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge. This was great fun, and it was amazing to be finally cycling across this great icon I'd seen in so many films. It really is an amazing piece of engineering, completed in 1937. We were also treated to some great views of the city, as yet again the weather was perfect. We arrived on the other side in a village called Sacramento- with a trendy Putney-by-the-bay feel, where we ordered some amazing cheeseburgers before catching the ferry back in the darkness, with the city lit up across the bay.

The city has a different and more relaxed vibe than any other Western city I've visited. It was here the great flower power revolution started in the 1960's and it shows. I'm a huge fan of the place. As i write this I'm sitting on the grass in Alamo square. The air is cool but the sun is shining, and the place is full of groups having picnics and playing guitar. It doesn't get much better!

On my final days, I visited Alcatraz with Rob and Caroline from Ireland, who was also in the hostel. Alcatraz was one of the most notorious prisons in the states 'till its closure in 1963. Famously inescapable, it incarcerated some of Americas most feared prisoners including Al Capone- who was imprisoned for tax evasion! It was a very stark place as you would expect, no comforts of any kind, but was not a sad place in the same way I found S21 in Cambodia. Most people in here were served justice of a kind, handed out to them by a jury for a crime. It was interesting to experience what a prison can be like, with an excellent audio tour bringing the atmosphere to life. The thing which must have driven so many of the prisoners to attempt escape (none succeeded) was the location of the city such a short distance away. As it is only a mile across the bay, the sight, smell and noise of the city can be heard clearly, which must have just served to remind them of what they were missing. However, the current and icy water claimed all those who made it that far.

Following this, I met up with Roger, a distant cousin of mine who now lives out here- we went for a great Mexican, and he gave me a few pointers for taking in some final areas of the city I hadn't yet visited, including the gay district Castro, which was surprisingly sedate, rather than the in-your-face campness (bad choice of phrase!) that we were expecting as the gay center of America. The only obvious indicators were the rainbow flags along the streets and the rather enlightening selection of DVDs in some of the shop windows!

Sorry for no photos this time- there's not a single internet cafe that will allow me to upload any photos here! Hopefully I'll add these later!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201674780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201674780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201674780/tpod.html Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:24:35 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Avarua, Cook Islands

Kia Orana!

I arrived at Rarotonga airport at 2am, January 30th, having left Auckland at 9pm the same day. This was all due to the crossing of the international date line, meaning all the hours lost due to time changes as I've moved around the world were given to me in one go, so now instead of being in front of time in the UK, I'm now way behind! Interesting to have the same day twice- although I think I'll time it for my birthday in the future!

The first thing you notice about the Cook Islands is how quiet it is. The Islands have a population of 18,000 and spread out over 15 tiny islands spread out over an area the size of Western Europe and the pace of life is positively sedate.

I am staying on the largest of these islands, Rarotonga,- a volcanic island surrounded by an atoll reef. The vast majority of my time here has been spent at the beaches of this reef, occasionally snorkeling, bust mostly reading and sunning myself, getting the last bit of sun on my trip before I head to the winter of the Northern Hemisphere and my final leg across the United States. I've also hired out a moped for the week, allowing me to navigate my way around the orbital main road of the island and take in the many different villages en route.

I've been into town a couple of times, but the nightlife is as quiet as the rest of the island life, and all is closed by 12 most nights! The people here are incredibly friendly, as it is nowhere near as developed for tourists as other pacific islands such as Fiji, making tourists more of a novelty than a commodity.

Overall, it's been a fantastic place to recharge my batteries from the frantic pace at which I traveled New Zealand before I take in the equally frantic cities of San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York before my final flight home, now quite clearly on the horizon!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201593960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201593960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201593960/tpod.html Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:48:08 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Paihia, New Zealand

My final stop in New Zealand was a fitting one. Amazing weather, friendly beaches, and the company of some of the nicest Dutch people I've met on my travels! We also stayed in one of the best hostels so far, a short walk from the beach.

Helen and me tried to go swimming with the dolphins again- sadly we couldn't go into the water this time as there was a very young calf with them, which may result in it's mother removing the baby from the group temporarily, leaving it exposed to predators. However, we did have a great 4 hour boat trip around the Bay of Islands.

This area was the first landing point in New Zealand by Captain Cook in 1769, and the first capital of New Zealand- the town of Russell -was established in the early 1800's. It's also said to have the second bluest sky in the world, after Rio.

I've had a truly amazing time here in New Zealand, fitting in more in a month than I ever thought I would. Looking back, I have an overload of memories, from the people I met, experiences I had, and crazy things I did!

Well, there it is- another country I'm in love with! What a hussy!

Tomorrow I'm off to the Cook Islands for some deserved (or maybe not) rest!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201415640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201415640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1201415640/tpod.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:48:01 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Hahei, New Zealand

Kia Ora!

I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, after a short drive from Taupo. I ventured out to see what's what in this largest city, and as expected, very quiet, as most New Zealand cities. It is, however strangely familiar, like it belongs in some corner of England. It lacks the brash vulgarity of many large Australian cities and even has English summer weather!

I spent my only day in Auckland taking in its major landmark, the Sky Tower. This was completed in 1999, but looks like it belongs in the 1970's. It's the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere, and certainly rivals the Sydney Tower for ugliness. I got the lift to the top for a dose of vertigo, walking over the glass floor it had in sections, looking down to the floor 150m below. I thought about doing the bungy jump from the top, but decided against it, before my adrenaline addiction starts to spiral out of control!

The next day, the Dutch girls joined us from their expedition south, and we all joined Rob to celebrate his birthday, part of the original Stray group from the South Island. We had a great night, and Helen even managed to climb into the supermarket freezer on her way home, whilst looking for ice cream!

The following day we traveled to Hahei- another 7am start and certain members of our group were really feeling the morning air, and not looking forward to the bus journey! We arrived in Hahei later that day and decided to head straight for the beach to catch up on sleep. A day of recovery was needed! After a group barbeque, we all sat together and got to know the other members of the bus, who we would be traveling the north island with for the rest of the trip. Yet again we landed with a great group of people, mostly girls, with a few Irish thrown in for those who like to party! Later, we all headed down to the beach to check out the moon, which was incredibly bright, shining off the sea- an amazing sight!

From Hahei, it was another early start the following day to head down to Reglan, a small surfing town on the north coast. Here, we went for a 2 hour trek through the forest, as a build-up to the 8 hour trek we would shortly undertake for the Tongariro Crossing. In the evening, all the boys played poker together, which I was very close to winning- but as with many things, there's no prizes for second place- something to take note of before I get to Vegas next month!

The subsequent day we were off again- this time to the Whitomo Caves, and home to the famous New Zealand glow worms. We decided to do the dry trip, ie. keeping yourself dry as opposed to abseiling and swimming through them- the crazy activities have to end somewhere! The guide we had was excellent- he even knew of Swindon's magic roundabout! The first cave we entered, the caves appeared as many I have seen before in Wookey Hole in Somerset. However, once the lights were turned off and my eyes became adjusted to the darkness, the true stars of the cave became apparent, in every sense! The ceiling of the cave was lit up like a night sky. We headed into a small boat and were pulled along by the guide into the depths of the cave, with only the light of the glow worms to guide our way- an amazing show! Unfortunately it was all far too dark for my camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

After, we went to see one of the strangest things I've seen in New Zealand- rabbit shearing! These were selectively bread rabbits developed in Germany (where else!) to develop a thick coat of hair that can be sheared, just like sheep. 30 of us stood around aghast as a rabbit was strapped down to something resembling a rack and sheared of half it's coat to be fashioned into jumpers!

The next day, it was all go again, this time to visit a Maori house to stay over for a 'Maori Experience'- and that's exactly what it was! We were welcomed in the traditional way, with the women first to show we were not a threat- beauty before age in this case! We were then welcomed by the elder with the Maori greeting- pressing the noses and foreheads together- a bit like an Eskimo kiss without the nose rubbing! We were then given a display of Maori dancing and the Hakka before the men were taken outside to learn it ourselves before giving a display to the girls! What we lacked in the correct dance moves, we made up for in gusto and noise- leaving the Maori elders to say that this had been one of the best displays he's ever seen (by foreign travelers on a Wednesday, over the past month). Anyway, we all really enjoyed it, and all 30 of us got to sleep in the same large hall that night- reminding me of my boarding school days. There was even talk of a pillow fight, but that failed to materialize due to sheer exhaustion!

In the morning, we traveled Rotoura (it's been crazy). This is a spa town on the East of the North Island- fed by the hot waters of geothermal activity in the area. We visited the hot mud pools bubbling away before heading to a spa to take in the waters for ourselves- pretty good- and the first bath I've had since I've left home. (I have had showers, Mum!)

From Rotoura, we continues on to Taupo, which was to be out base as we undertake the Tongariro Crossing- one of the best treks to do in the world. As we had a few hours to kill, I did what came naturally, and jumped out of a plane from 12,000 feet, in my second skydive. (It's not a problem!) This time, I was far more relaxed and was able to take in the whole experience more, meaning I enjoyed it more. Maybe the third time will be better still... Or maybe solo? :)

After a big night out due to adrenaline overload, we were up at 5am for the bus to the start of the Tongariro Crossing. How I regretted staying up 'till 3 when I had an 8 hour trek in front of me! Still.. I'll sleep when I'm dead!
We started out for a 2 hour bus ride in the darkness, watching the sun rise as we approached (and watching the inside on my eyelids in between), and found ourselves at a cold, damp, rocky wilderness, with a 17km mountain trek in front of us. I may have wished Laura had not given me a wake up call at 5am at this stage.
However, that was quickly forgotten as the morning sun warmed us and we clambered up the aptly named 'Devil's Staircase' towards 'Mount Doom'. The climb may have been hard, but the views as we ascended were more than enough reward.
We broke for lunch by one of the bluest lakes I've seen at the top, before descending again at the other side to arrive at the final pick up point, exhausted, some 7 hours later, where we all promptly fell asleep on the grass!

The Dutch girls I have been traveling with are great fun and really genuinely nice people. They speak perfect English- the only time things get misunderstood it's in a fun way- for example, I thought I was asked for 'tea bags' the other night- when Annika was meaning 'tip-ex'. I almost asked her to make me a cup while she was at it!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200695700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200695700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200695700/tpod.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:01:43 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Taupo, New Zealand

After a fantastic train journey North through the scenic east coast rail line which hugs some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in NZ, me and Rob arrived at the ferry terminal for a 3 hour crossing to the North island of New Zealand.

We arrived in Central Wellington, New Zealand's capital at 5pm, as the city was gearing up for the arrival of The Police (Sting etc.), due to play that evening- a pretty big deal over here!

After one evening walking around the city and taking in the Parliament etc, it appears to be one of the quietest capital cities I've visited since Vientiane in Laos! Maybe it was the Police concert emptying the streets..

The following day we set off on the Stray bus again, to head for Taupo. Lake Taupo is New Zealand's largest lake, basically the crater of a volcano which formed New Zealand's north island, who's eruption would have make Krakatoa look like a candle. It is a spa town with hot springs flowing into many of the surrounding rivers that flow into it's enormous lake (the size of Singapore), so yet again it's a town full of outdoor activities such as water sports and bungy!

I left the rest of the bus to continue their journey up to Auckland, deciding to catch up with Richard, a friend I met in Cambodia, who lives down the road. We caught up for a night out in Taupo, which coincided with a formula A1 race meeting (sort of a world cup for formula 1) at Taupo circuit, which New Zealand gained pole position, so as you can imagine, the town was busy with boy racers and racing promo girls (the kind you find holding umbrellas for formula 1 racing drivers), so we had a pretty good night!

In addition, my adrenaline addiction is reaching new heights. It started off with downhill mountain biking. I thought I could handle it... then before I knew it I was mainlining canyon swings, now I've hit the big 'B'- the bungy jump! I think I may have a problem!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200552240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200552240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200552240/tpod.html Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:02:41 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Taupo, New Zealand

I arrived in Taupo to the sad news of a backpaker's murder the day before in the town. Her name was Karen Aim. She was a young Scottish tourist who was on a working holiday over here. Many people here knew her personally and are extremely distraught.

It appears she was attacked on her way home from a night out. This is something totally unexpected in New Zealand, even more so in a town like Taupo, a laid back tourist town of 30,000 people. It is hard to think, even in a place as safe as New Zealand, a country of such beauty, in terms of both its landscape and people, evil like this exists. My thoughts are with her family and friends.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200267120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200267120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnbrianmess/world07/1200267120/tpod.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:55:19 -0500 Around the World in 5 months

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Queenstown, New Zealand

Our first stop in Queenstown was a sign of things to come- the AJ Hackett Bridge, as it's become known- the sign of the first Bungy. It's 45m high, plunging most people into the river below. Bungy is essentially an insane practice of tying elastic to one's feet and jumping off something that would otherwise kill you instantly. It's supposedly inspired by a Mayan initiation ceremony, but I would rather think it's down to the crazy nature of kiwis, pushing extreme outdoor activities to ever greater heights!

I chose to chicken out of the bridge jump, but would later undertake something far more extreme, as the addictive adrenaline rush of activities in Queenstown took hold. It started off with downhill cycling, but found that wasn't enough..


Fly By Wire was next.. sort of a human pendulum on a massive scale, fan powered to gain as much height as possible (80m or so), and swing from side to side inside a canyon. This was great fun, but more adrenaline was needed...

Next up, Hang Gliding- something I've wanted to do since seeing it on TV in the 70's. I went with Lise, a girl from Denmark on my Stray bus, to give each other some backing- something we needed when we got to the top of the mountain and saw the incline we had to run down, strapped to a canvas and aluminium wing with no engine! After a brief analysis of the conditions by the instructors (looking intensely at the sky and holding a wet finger to the air), they decided it was all go for launch.
We dressed up in some sort of heavy duty apron with a single rope ladder rung attached to the end, all of which was to be hung from the delta wing whilst we glided gently to the ground.
Soon enough, after a practice run and some brief instructions ('run like hell and keep up with me'), we moved the wing to the top of the hill/mountain, where I got very nervous.
'3..2..1.. Go!' And we were off, running like a pair of idiots at break neck speed down a mountain with a wing! Before long, my legs were running in the air as we gained lift, and the sound of pounding feet on shingle was replaced by the sound of the air against the wing as we soared upwards. Flight!!
The fear was replaced by sheer amazement as I was allowed to take control and precariously direct us where I wanted simply by moving the triangular tubing in front of me. It was an awesome feeling! Sweet as, bro! After some acrobatics and spirals shown to me by the pilot, it was time to land- a very fast approach quickly leveled off with my face about 1 feet from the ground which we maintained over some distance before touching down. One of the best landings I've ever experienced and equally exciting as the one with Laos Airlines! The whole experience was incredible.. If only being an hang gliding instructor was my day job!

Next up was the big one- a canyon swing. This is something I managed to persuade Peter to join me in, who is very afraid of heights on the premise that it's just a swing, rather than a more extreme bungee. The reality was far removed from this. It is a swing, but one that is 109m high, far higher than the statue of liberty by comparison! After jumping off one side of the canyon, you freefall 60m next to the canyon wall, reaching 100mph before finishing on a 200m arc at the base where the 'swing' kicks in. No Worries! After watching videos of others doing it, we were decidedly worried, but we didn't want to chicken out by this stage, so pressed ahead with our booking. After a restless sleep which of course involved my personal favourite recurring dream of.. falling.., we headed down to our fate on the awaiting transfer bus. In terms of an adrenaline rush, it didn't disappoint in the slightest, and to say I was scared is a massive understatement!

The jump itself was scary enough and I would have trouble jumping off at the best of times, but somehow the staff persuaded be to jump off.. backwards! Sometimes it scares me how gullible I am! 'You'll see more' they said, 'Much more fun to see the platform disappearing away from you'.
And wouldn't you know, I took all this in and agreed that, yes- it's much better to jump 108m down a canyon, putting my life in a harness and wire, backwards!

As I approached the edge and the moment of truth, the best was yet to come. I must have had some of the most sadistic staff in charge of encouraging me to jump off! Instead of counting me down and letting me go, they held me backwards over the edge and told me to smile for the camera and then look down- one of the more terrifying sights I think I'm likely to see. They then started playing with my mind, saying that I wasn't tied on properly, my harness was loose, worn out etc, then when I was ready to jump, they'd pull me back, to wind me up some more! Finally they let me go, and I underwent a few of the most terrifying seconds of my life, legs kicking and screaming, before the swing and harness kicked in and I realized I was still alive after all! Sheer exhilaration!! One of the scariest yet fun things I think I'll ever do! Peter joined me in jumping off shortly after, wisely choosing to go forwards, and let out an 'Oh Jesus!' as he jumped off in the true Irish way!

Finally, on our way to a return stop in Christchurch, we stopped off at the Rangitaga River for some white-water rafting. Luckily, the team consisted of all the people I have been closest to during travelling over the past few weeks including my partner in crime, Peter and his sister Sue. It was a great day with perfect weather, managing to get thrown out of the boat twice, on one occasion taking Peter out with me (see pics).

Sadly, after a final night out in Christchurch, I had to bid farewell to Peter and Sue, who are returning to Dublin and Australia respectively. It was very sad to see them leave, as they've become such great friends, although I hope to meet Peter (&Sue) again either in Dublin or London.
I will miss their banter! ("You Stink!")
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