Parachutes, Parties and Plenty of Lakes...New Zealand

Kia Ora

One thing we learnt in New Zealand was a good way to cure a hangover is to jump out of a plane at 12,000 ft.

Our skydive, which we did in Franz Josef over the top of the glacier, was one of the highlights of our trip and one of the most incredible things we've ever done. It was also definitely the most scary!

We had ourselves booked in for our dive on Saturday 30th April- the day after a very messy night at the Poo pub but all symptoms of hangover were gone as soon as we started flying through the sky.

We rocked up at the skydive centre at 2pm and were blessed with the most beautiful day for our jump, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and for probably the first time since we've been in New Zealand, it was warm enough to get the shorts out again. As soon as we got to the centre and were given forms to sign away our life in case of parachute malfunction the nerves began to kick in. We weren't really very nervous leading up to it but once we saw the plane and began suiting up it all became very real and very scary.

A lot has scared Lodge this trip..riding elephants, the dark, birds etc.. But this was a whole new level of fear. I have never seen her looking so petrified in my life. She wasn't even making her scared "miieeeeeee" sound, she was deathly silent. For a while I didn't think she'd actually do it but she got on with things and stepped up to be strapped into her harness and at least began to talk a bit ! (I think this may have had something to do with the fact she quite fancied the guy she was to be strapped to!) I on the other hand had an old ugly man strapped to my back but to be honest as long as he had the ability to pull the parachute cord I didn't give a damn !

Anyway, all harnessed up and having learnt the 'banana' position and how to land, we got ourselves into the plane, which was absolutely tiny. There was just room for Lodge and I to sit on our instructors laps and the pilot. We took off (Lodge was still disconcertingly quiet at this point while I was trying to ignore her instructor sitting next to me pretending to pray to freak me out!) and had a 20 minute scenic flight which we would have appreciated a lot more if we weren't absolutely terrified. The instructors were pointing out all the sights- the glacier, the lakes, sea, rainforest and Mt Cook- New Zealand's tallest mountain but to be honest all we could think was 's***..I'm about to fall out that door!'

We reached 12,000ft and the door opened..it was so noisy and windy. Lodge was up first and as she was already sitting right next to the door just had to swing her legs out, but she was so frozen with fear Kev had to throw them out for her and then she was off. It was horrible just sitting there and watching her just vanish into thin air but I didn't have too much time to think about it because now it was my time and I was hanging out of the door. We were hanging there for seconds but it felt like I lifetime and then we were free falling at 200kph for 45 seconds. It was incredible- I couldn't stop smiling and Lodge, as you can see in her pics- couldn't stop screaming!

Next thing I knew the wind had stopped and it all went silent as the parachute opened and we were gliding back down to earth. I kept asking if we were actually moving because it felt like we were just hanging in the air. I could see Lodge over in the distance and safe in the knowledge we both had working parachutes I relaxed and enjoyed the amazing views. I watched Lodge land and then followed her down, landing right behind her. Then we had the biggest hug and both couldn't stop smiling. We couldn't believe we'd actually done it.. Not bad for someone who's scared of wet tissue and someone who's scared of potatoes!
The feeling lasted for days, we both kept reliving it or suddenly saying "I can't believe we actually did that!"
It was something we'll never forget and would both love to do again.

This amazing experience was probably the turning point for us and our uncertainty about New Zealand. Initially we weren't keen on the place at all. We landed in Christchurch shattered and cold and with the most part of the city a no entry zone controlled by armed guards after February's earthquake, there wasn't much to do. So after two days in a city which is 90 per cent rubble, we were excited to begin our Kiwi Experience.

This is basically a coach tour, full of young travellers that stops off around the country and we'd booked ourselves onto the Dog Leg pass from Christchurch to Auckland. It didn't get off to the best start.. Only Lodge and I can buy a $900 bus ticket and then turn up at the bus stop 5 hours after the bus has left! For once though it wasn't our fault and so we managed to get ourselves transferred onto another route which was almost identical to ours bar a couple of extra stops at the beginning.

It wasn't quite what we were expecting though and, for the first time since we've been away, we were both feeling we were ready to come home. That's not to say New Zealand isn't beautiful, because it is, some of the scenery is truly breathtaking but we weren't keen on the coach and didn't really think it was for us. The first few days we hated it. Travelling from Kiakoura to Nelson to Westport we visited lakes (lots of lakes!), a seal colony, the pancake rocks and blow holes and did wine and beer tasting but there was a lot of just sitting on the coach. It almost felt like we were on a school trip, we had to get up stupid early everyday, were staying in dorms and worst of all it was bloody cold. For the first time since January we were freezing.. We didn't pack for that at all. Nor did we pack for hiking around lakes, which we were regularly made to do. As my toe will tell you hiking in flip flops can be painful !

So we were having a bit of a moan the first few days as we headed down the west coast of South Island but then we told ourselves to stop wishing the time away and enjoy ourselves because all too soon our adventure was going to be over. And what better was to start having fun than with a night at the Poo Pub in Mahinapua owned by a grumpy but very funny old man. The 'Poo Party' is legendary on the Kiwi Experience with each bus stopping for a steak dinner and fancy dress party. With only about 20 minutes to think of and purchase an outfit in the theme of 'heroes, villains and bad taste' we opted to be Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and looked ridiculous in our homemade outfits. But we had fun and made a lot of friends from our bus... Generally just another classic drunken night. The next morning everyone piled onto the bus looking a little worse for wear and we set off for Franz Josef, where Lodge and I did our skydive that afternoon.

Our second day in Franz Josef we took advantage of our first lie in in what felt like forever and had a lazy day. A lot of the group went on the Glacier hike today but we'd decided to give it a miss not only because we didn't fancy going on a 9 hour trek but because it didn't fit into our budget. (After running up a debt equivalent to that of a small african country we sat down and worked out a very strict budget from now on.. Maybe this should have been done before we got 15 weeks into the trip..!) Anyway we are now living like proper travellers..dorm room and s*** meals.. Can't accuse us of being flashpackers anymore!
But anyway, we'd seen the glacier from 12,000ft and that was adequate for us so instead we took ourselves off on our own trek up to Canavanas Knob, a view point of the glacier. We even had a go at rock climbing and river crossing (unintentionally!) as we took the wrong track. We managed pretty well despite being dressed in a summer dress and flip flops!
After our little hike we rewarded ourselves with a hot tub and went to bed for a good sleep in preparation for our 7am departure the next morning. Unfortunately we ended up being kept awake all night by our new roomie getting up every hour, going outside, turning on the bathroom light and then getting back into the very squeaky top bunk. I was ready to kill the b******.

So after a night of no sleep we were up and on the coach at 7am where we were then dropped off at a lake and sent on 45 minute walk around said lake at 7.30am.. Really Cuddles?! (Cuddles was the name of our driver by the way!) After another stop at a waterfall we got to Wanaka where we spent the evening at the bar and entered the killer pool competition (no surprises that we didn't win that!) And decided to head to bed before the karaoke got going.

From Wanaka it was on to Queenstown and this was where the real fun began and after 5 fantastically lazy days and 5 even crazier nights out we found ourselves very sad to be leaving Queenstown and all our brilliant new friends.

Our hostel was pretty nice and we were in a room with some of the girls off our bus which was a good laugh (plus a man who we are pretty sure was taking pictures of us while we were getting dressed..!) First night the whole bus met for pizza at 'Fat Badgers' (which is becoming increasingly appropriate!) and had drinks at World Bar, where the cocktails come in teapots! We moved onto the Buffalo Club and danced our little legs off all night before finishing the night at Fergburger (anyone who has ever been to Queenstown will know that Fergburger is legendary!). We'd teamed up with a big group from the bus so there was about 10 or so of us, which was brilliant fun. Don't get me wrong Lodge and I have a blast when we go out just us but it was nice to be part of a big group for a change.
The following day was very lazy and we weren't even planning on going out but got roped into an afternoon game of 'Ring of Fire' and off we went for another night on the town. And so the pattern went on, Queenstown consisted of lazy days spent hanging out in the hostel lounge, cinema room or sauna and then brilliant nights out on the town.
Some of the girls we met in Fraser Island turned up on the third night and coincidentally they knew all the others from our bus too, which was brilliant.
Every night was hilarious, Lodge almost found herself convinced to enter a dancing on the bar in a bikini contest, I found myself shinning the stage, falling on my arse and getting two rather large bruises, a couple of the boys found themselves involuntarily donating 400 dollars to charity, Lodge got chucked out of the bar for being found in the mens toilets, I found myself going to bed at exactly 6.08am two mornings in a row after staying up watching films and the welsh girls taught us a game called 'f*** you, you fat b****, you dirty f***ing w****'! Brilliant.
In preparation for our early bus on the Sunday we decided we wouldn't go out Saturday night.. this evolved into we'd go out but not drink, which then somehow evolved into us being at the bottle shop buying 3 bottles of cider and a bottle of wine for pre-going out drinks and it was another big night. During the night Lodge decided she was going home while I moved onto another bar with a few of the others. A couple of hours later I returned home to find Lodge on the phone in the lounge. Surprised she was still up I went over to see if she was ok.
"I thought you went to bed ages ago, everything ok?" I said to her. Her response was "I went to a 30th birthday party!" What the hell ?!
(This is probably the second funniest thing she has said to me the entire trip. Unfortunately for you lot I can't tell you the number one line she came out with.. But trust me it was even funnier than the story that goes with how she came to be in the kitchen of a hotel at 4am!.. Anyway..let's just say Lodge never fails to amaze me!) It turned out she'd bumped in to H and Degs on the way home, who'd told her there was no way she was going to bed and somehow they managed to end up at someone's 30th birthday party which had a free bar! No wonder she was pretty merry when I found her!

Needless to say leaving Queenstown on Sunday morning we were sad, tired and looking disgusting still wearing last night's make up. Oh well, no need to dress up for a 12 hour bus ride all the way to Kiakoura via Christchurch..how boring!

So that was the South Island complete. On Monday afternoon we got the ferry to Wellington and had a few nights in the North Island. Wellington lived up to its wet and windy reputation and that was about as far as we got to knowing about it as we arrived in the evening and left the next morning. On to Taupo where we took a walk up to a natural hot spring in the afternoon. Now I'm not entirely sure the technical reasons behind why it was hot in the waterfall while the lake below was freezing but I can tell you it was freaking boiling..hotter than a bath. Strange!

It was another early pick up the next morning, which we almost missed but in our defence we were very tired as we were kept awake all night by the Chinese snoring champion who was in our dorm.. (If we never see another dorm room or bunk bed after this trip it'll be too soon!)
On to Rotorua, just a short journey, so we had a whole day to fill. Unfortunately it was torrential rain but we got out our sexy rain coats and headed to Polynesian Spa- a selection of outdoor hot pools over looking the lake. Unfortunately there was a bit of a bad smell in the air, imagine the stinkiest eggy fart smell you've ever smelt and triple it. Now again I am not entirely sure about the technical stuff but its something to do with Rotorua's position on the tetonic plates which means there is a lot of geothermal activity causing a sulphur smell.. (For more information contact Mr Napper at All Hallows School..)
Anyway it was lovely and relaxing and the rain actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing as it helped keep you cool. We made friends with a Korean man called Bryan who worked there who entertained us with Craig David tunes! Bless him!

In the evening we headed for some culture and (most importantly) a mammoth feast at Tamaki Maori village. Upon arrival we were welcomed by Maori warriors doing a traditional greeting. Basically they do a dance while pulling funny faces and then leave an offering which the elected chief of our group (a big mouthed guy from Southampton that Lodge wanted to punch) had to accept in order for us to be allowed to enter their village. It's all very strange and a bit frightening..just imagine the Haka but scarier. We had a look around the village and found out how they had cooked the feast we were about to eat.. It was cooked completely underground in a big hole covered with hessian sacks and mud and left for four hours so the heat from the ground and steam cooked everything. Very clever! And it was delicious, we hadn't eaten much all day in preparation and crammed in two helpings (I was even brave and had a piece of fish and Lodge was brave and ate some potato skin!) plus pudding. Before we got to eat, the village people (as in the Maori people who lived there, not the ones who sang YMCA!) put on a concert of traditional songs and dances with big sticks. As well as using their sticks for the dance, some of the men were using their sticks to point at Lodge and I in the front row whilst whispering to each other about us..not that I noticed this at the time as I was sitting next to the worlds most annoying man and that's not an exaggeration!
After dinner they performed the Haka and on the bus home we had a sing along.
Today (Thursday) we're off to Auckland, where they had a tornado last week.. So far we have been following natural disasters with the Christchurch earthquake, Australian cyclone and floods and now a tornado all happening just before we arrive in places.. Watch out England.. We're on our way soon! Anyway, we are ready for our flight to Fiji tomorrow (Friday 13th..oh god!) And can't wait to see the sunshine again!

After initial reservations about New Zealand it has turned out to have been a blast. The crap weather and spending endless hours on a coach wasn't really our thing and we've seen more than enough lakes to last us a lifetime, but we've made some brilliant friends, had some of the funniest nights out and of course fell out of a plane.. Wowza!

Seven countries down and just one left to go, in less than two weeks its back to reality.. Sad face... But on the other hand in less than two weeks we got to see all our amazing friends and family.. Very happy face!