So after picking up our Buzza campervan, for the 2nd time we leave Christchurch but this time heading on our way down to the south part of the island. This country is the most spectacular place we have ever seen, the scenery is amazing, and it's so diverse. The mountains are huge, the lakes are so blue, the forests are vast, and there's more farms than you can shake a stick at, including sheep!!! Lets just say, as Chris always does, we've definately seen sum s*** since we've been away!!!

Our drive down to Queenstown was spread over a few days, taking in the sights of Lake Tekapo (where Chris' reliies Claire and Layton actually got married?!), Lake Pukaki and Mount Cook. Mount Cook is actually the highest mountain in Australasia, and even thought it's summer over here theres still ice and snow at the top - they're so high. It was such an unbeleivable sight, Lake Pukaki, so blue, surrounded by dark green forests then these glacial moutntains in the distance. We just really hope the photo's show how beatiful this place really was. Lake Tekapo was just as pretty, such a quiet place (although later was swarming with Japaenese tourists on one of those tours?!) but it was great to see. We actually drove quite close to Mount Cook, although most of it is only accessible by orgainsed hikes, somehow i don't think our flip flops will suffice the journey!

So we arrive in Queenstown on the 18th deciding what activities we may venture on to tickle our fancy. After viewing the AJ Hackett Bungy site, where bungy was first invented, we decided this 43m jump would not suffice the adrenaline junkie in us??!!!! So we decided upon a Canyon Swing instead. The Shotover Canyon Swing as it's called is the world's highest swing. There's a platform on the edge of a cliff 110m above a river. At the platform you are fitted into jump ropes and as the advert says 'Gravity does the rest!' To say it was absolutely bloody mental would be an understatement!!

We both did 2 jumps each, both of us getting photo's and a DVD of it all, so u can have a gander when we get back but not before!!! If u do wana have a look at the website its www.canyonswing.co.nz and it shows the swing and the different jump styles. Gem did the forwards jump and the Elvis cutaway, and Chris did backwards and Gimp boy goes to Hollywood??? Say no more!

There were 5 of us altogether doing the swing, another English girl, one from Alaska and some snobby Swiss girl. Being 2nd in line, but first out of us 2 Gem steps up for the 1st jump - forwards. Standing on the edge of the platform toes over the edge you have to jump off this majorly high ledge with nothing to hold and plummet a 60m freefall before swinging into a 200m arc. Crazy stuff! To say she was a bit scared is another understatement, as you'll see from the DVD, she's stood on the edge for quite a while before finally taking the plummit and howling the whole way down! They said jump off anyway you want, jump leap dive...do you think just falling off the edge really counts!!!

Chris is up next being slightly less nervous, and unsure of what jumpstyle to do from the egde of the platform he decides backwards is the only way down. He looks failry confident as he's strapped in and harnessed up, but his screams on the way down paint a different picture. With all the other 4 people being girls and Chris the only male, he was the loadest of the lot! With the guys holding onto him as he leans back, as they let him go there is nothing else he can do but jump, he's a gonner!

After the first jumpwe were both shaking and dying to do another jump, this time being slightly more daring than the first, but believe me its still just as bloody scary. Gem's second jump the elvis cutaway, your suspended on your back above the canyon, and once released you fall with the canyon rushing past you, then as you swing you're upside down. She probably deffened the rafters on the way down that were rafting down the river beneath her when she fell. Let's just say if they didn't see her coming they sure heard her. And finally Chris doing his second jump, suspended upside down over the canyon and released head first like a bungy down to the river below eyeballs first to finish the arc on his back.

We were buzzing for about 2 days after the jump itching to do something else; there's been nothing so far, but it doesn't mean there wont be a next time!!!