BUUUUuuuUNnNNnNGGGYYYYY -- SPLASH!
Trip Start
May 09, 2005
1
8
25
Trip End
Ongoing
Mostly Taupo, with a pinch of Rotorua,
New Zealand
Monday, June 6, 2005
Taupo, the place we've been staying, is pretty amazing. The first night we were here a barmaid told us it was much like Queenstown, but without the price tag... and that's why we stayed for about a week. Aside from the lake, there are loads of Hobit-style hills, Mordorish mountains, Rivendale rivers and err... Frodo forests? Plus, there are loads of natural thermal spots and geysers (not the "alwight mate" ones...) everywhere you look. In fact, you end up taking the scenery for granted, "oh look, another amazing lake with a snow covered mountain behind it, whoop-de-do!" or "for God's sake, not ANOTHER rainbow... they really are two-a-penny around here!". We did manage to go for a trek through a forest to the Huka Falls, which is where the Waikato river suddenly narrows and drops down to form a small, but extremely powerful waterfall
1. Quack Off -- It's Mine!
. If I read the info boards correctly (and I'm pretty sure I didn't!), the falls provide 15% of New Zealand's overall energy... or was that the WORLD'S ENERGY..? Anyway, it's powerful -- and after discussing the point for about 15 minutes me and Giggsy decided you couldn't swim through it and survive... so I didn't try! Anyway, that's enough of the natural beauty garbage -- more importantly, WE GOT TICKETS TO SEE THE LIONS!! And it was rubbish! The poster said 'Come to the lion's den and pat a lion cub' but when we got there the lion cubs weren't that little anymore -- they were angst-ridden teenagers that could take your fingers off if they wanted to! Then we went to meet their parents, and that was even worse! These poor magnificent beast looked like lame-o drugies, and just walked up... and then down again in front of the hordes of people... Oh wait, did you think I meant the Lions rugby? WELL WE SAW THEM TOO -- WA-HOO!! We managed to get tickets for the first two games, Bay Of Plenty and Taranaki (and just to annoy everyone back home [who cares about rugby] the tickets were 80$ for both games, which works out to be 16 quid sterling each!). The Bay Of Plenty game was fantastic! We were surrounded by Bay fans (not a red shirt in sight) and the entire game was full of FRIENDLY banter -- them calling us w**kers, us calling them c***s / them saying they'd rape us, us saying if they did we'd rape their sheep etc, etc... No joking aside, it's how all sporting events should be! Only ever having been to footy games before, and on occasion being worried that you're going to get some pikey from your own set of fans start on you, it was an absolute pleasure to be surrounded by the opposition and them all shaking your hands at the end of the game and wishing you well! Big shame about Dellalio, but roll on Taranaki...
Anyway, we stayed at Rotorua for a night and then headed back to Taupo
2. Lake Taupo Take 1
. We had a bit of a piss up on the Sunday when we arrived back, and then was suffering the next day because that had made it four nights in a row of heavy alcohol consumption, but we had to get over that sharpish as we made our way to the airport to catch a short plane ride... As we drove up to the airport we were wondering whether or not they'd call it off again, because we were looking up at the sky to see clouds drifting over -- and then suddenly parachutes opening up through the clouds, and then "oh shit!", that means it's on! We both got weighed (their scales were broken just like mine at home!) and then had to sit and wait while we saw other people get strapped up and flown away to their doom! I didn't really get as nervous as I thought I would (the shaking and vomiting was due to my hangover)... I did start to ponder the question 'why throw yourself out of a perfectly good aeroplane at 12,000ft' as we started to fly through the clouds, but then I've always fancied going out that way (I shouldn't say stuff like that yet, I'm planning to do the 15,000ft one dressed as Spidey!). I must admit though, I was pretty God damn lucky, just before I exited the plane some guy attached himself to me -- he had a parachute and everything!! I'll be honest, if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't be here now... Anyway, the immediate sensation of falling out was unreal, and sounded a bit like this "WAAAa-wooOOOOO!" and then it turned into something like the falling scene from Bill and Ted, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH...AHHHHHHHHHH..
2. Lake Taupo Take 2
. ...YOU OKAY ON THE BACK?". He opened the 'chute at about 6000ft, which seemed a bit high, but then the real fun began. They loosen your harness! To make you feel more comfortable apparently? I was quite happy feeling like I was tightly strapped in AND safe! But then I got the chance to fly the parachute, which was really cool! It works like this: yank down one side and it sends you into a mad spin and you start to fall quicker (and you jiggle like a girl), then release that strap and yank down the other side, and it sends you spinning the other way (and you jiggle like a girl a little louder!)... When you eventually reach the ground you're a bit gutted because it seems it's over too quickly, but it was brilliant and I can't wait to do the next one! Also, I exited the plane third and finished a close second after Giggsy -- how hard am I?As I write this, the sky dive was yesterday, and I've just completed a bungy! As soon as I got back from the sky dive I had to book it up. It wasn't a bad one, 47 meters, but it's more just getting me ready for Nevis, the 134 meter bungy! It was freezing cold this morning, so when they asked me whether I wanted to be dunked I said 'Not on your nelly, governor'. However, as soon as I was getting ribbed by the guys running the bungy for wearing my Lions top, I knew they were going to dunk me whatever. The only way I could get around it was to dive out as far as possible and only get my hands wet, which is what I did! And to mix up the superlatives, it was stern! The initial jump your stomach is left behind (unfortunately it rejoins you in a second or two!)! Then, up down, up down, up down and it's all over -- the story of my life...!
Anyone who knows me knows I've got a memory like a goldfish with alzheimers, so I'm really glad I've done the sky dive and bungy, because now I know they're not too bad and I just want to do as many as possible!! The only problem is that everywhere else they will be a bit more expensive; here they only cost $170 (80 pounds) and $60 (25 pounds)! But hey, I'm travelling, I'll do what I like! Back home they'd cost loads more anyway!
And on a cheeky little final thought as I leave Taupo for New Plymouth, and the next Lions game... because we've spent quite a lot of time in pubs, we've been playing a fair bit of pool. And for some reason New Zealanders have taken the international pool rule book, thrown it out of a plane without a parachute into a bush fire below, and have then put the charred remains into a blender. Finally they have given whatever was left of the original book to a spastic to rewrite; you only get one shot if you make a foul, and when Giggsy potted all his balls, but couldn't hit the black because he was snookered (the other guy had six balls still to pot!) -- he lost the game!! Eh? What's all that about, bro?
