"Get dressed we're going out" was the beginning of my day.� "Er, where to?" was my response.� "It's a surprise".� Hmm, I still have my leg in cast what on earth can we be doing........

We pull up at the airfield in Raglan where I find a local flying club offering glider flights.� Oh my!� Apparently their motto is "so long as you can get in, you can go up!"� After seriously questioning the safeness of not only getting in a plane with a broken ankle, but one with no engine, I hopped in (pardon the pun!)� Here goes nothing.......

The take off was amazing, and the flight even better. � The first thing that hit me was just how quiet it was, the absence of the engine noise adds a completely different aspect to being in a plane.� Once at the correct height the pilot informs me that the plane is about to let go of us and that there will a loud "clunk" type noise, but not to be alarmed.� It lets us go and I'm suddenly aware that we have slowed down.� Considering that you can't feel that you're actually being towed by another plane the effect of being let go is amazing.� We soar high up in the clouds taking in the hills, sea, beaches, town - more than I can even relay to this journal.� I scramble with my camera desperately trying to get the perfect picture that will help with my terrible descriptions.� It is then that I am interrupted - "fancy a go?"� I go over the question a few times, am I sure he really said that?� I confirm that he did, panic that I'm going to kill us both, then agree - what the hell!� To steer/fly the glider you simply (ha!) use what i can only describe as a joystick.� One slight move left or right tipped the plane the same way, whilst forward and back sped up or slowed it down.� The experience was amazing and we soared around like a bird in the sky for about 30 mins, with a landing smoother than our Qantas one into Auckland!!! �

A perfect morning and a lovely surprise - and the furthest I've travelled in a good few weeks ;o)�