Sky diving, Hakas and the Toringo Crossing on an New Zealand Adrenaline Tour.
Hello everyone!
We are in New Zealand and loving it so far. We have done so much in the short time we have been here. We started in Auckland and we stayed a couple of nights before getting on the Kiwi experience bus. In Auckland we caught up with sleep a little bit and just tried to relax because we haven’t done much of that since we have been away, well since Thailand anyway. We went up a sky viewing tower which was awesome. There was glass flooring and it was so freaky, walking on glass and being able to see the street below from so high up.
We are currently in Taupo, and right next to the lake! We love it here and Pete has moved in already! Unfortunately we leave tomorrow I can’t remember the names of all the places we have been to and stayed along the way. I have written it down in my daily diary, just don’t have it with me. On Valentines night we booked to go to a Maori evening, near Rotorua. The Maori people lived here many years ago, in tribes. There were three coach loads of us and each coach nominated a chief. Our Chief was Dave from Ireland. We had a traditional welcoming and we had to see if we would be accepted into the tribe. Luckily our chief did well and we gained the trust of the Maori tribe. We went through to the village and learnt about how they lived in the past and about their games, cooking and other traditions. It was really interesting. We were then taken to see how our food for the evening meal had been cooked. In the area we were in there were lots of natural hot springs and the area is very active with volcano’s everywhere. our food was cooked in a hole underground, it was a special oven and the ground was hot enough to cook our food. It was really impressive. We then watched some traditional dances and we were told a story before our meal. It was a great evening!
Pete and I also went to a farm show in Rotorua, the sheep and dogs were specially trained and it was really good to watch. They had volunteers up on stage milking cows and then they asked for four more volunteers, and I was selected and went up on the stage with three others. We were each handed a bottle of milk and told to drink it after the count of three. I was worried in case it was milk from the cow that had just been on the stage. After three no one drank the milk so I didn’t. I wasn’t too sure what to do, I didn’t know if I was really supposed to drink it. The man counted to three again and I was about to drink the milk when 4 baby lambs came out of the trap door. They drank the milk and they were all only five days old. They were wagging there little tails while drinking the milk and it was so so cute!
That day we also went to an adventure park where you could choose to do different activities, like a bungi swing, jet boat’s etc. Pete and I chose to do a free falling fan thingy! It is basically a big fan that blows you about a metre into the air that makes you feel like your free falling. It was odd! We both had a turn but neither of us felt very safe, so cut it short. We got some funny photo’s though.
We have been told that New Zealand is the adventure place, and that there is just so much to do! It’s true, we have done lots of walks through caves and old mines. We also went Black water rafting in Waitomo. It was so much fun, we chose the three hour trip and we had big black rubber rings. Before we went off we had to do the bum in hole test. Basically you had to put your bottom in the hole of the ring and if you where wedged in enough so the ring wouldn’t fall off, you were set to go, if not then you had to go choose another ring. My ring was good, and pete’s fitted well too. Our next test was the falling backwards test. We had to fall backwards into the water, which was harder than it sounds and I got so much water up my nose. In the caves we saw lots of glow worms and they were so pretty. We also had to jump backwards off loads of waterfalls. It was so much fun!
Ok, so the next day we did the best thing I have ever done in my life, and the best thing Pete has ever done in his! WE DID A SKY DIVE!!! That’s right, we jumped out of a plane 12,000 feet in the air! It was crazy stuff. Attached are some photo’s of our skydive, we also have the rest of the photo’s on facebook and a dvd to show everyone when we get home. I did my skydive with A Wedding anniversary invitation taped to my arm. It was two of our best friends anniversary, I wish I could have been there, so instead I took them with me! Pete wrote on his hands “Yes, it’s me Pete”. It was so exciting, Pete was more nervous than I was and I thought he would back out because he has a slight fear of both planes and heights. He loved every second of it! I became very nervous in the plane, but relaxed a lot more when the parachaut was pulled. The freefall was insane, and we both got such a rush from it.
We met my Grandpa and Aunty Sandy here in Taupo. They live here for six months of the year to escape the English winter. They have taken us out for dinner and Grandpa took us on a couple of the Famous Arnold Fisher Tours. They are only given to VIP’s and done by the one and only Micheal Arnold Fisher (Grandpa). He took us on a boat to the Huka falls and showed us all the best places to go in Taupo. We went to his house which I fell in love with, and Pete wants to move in right away! We certainly feel at home here!
We also met up with Sophie, who is Pete’s cousin. She was really nice and we spent the day chilling out in the natural hot springs, swimming at the lake and we even had a game of Crazy golf, which pete won (AGAIN). Sophie keeps busy here with all the local sport events, and is entering a triathlon next weekend here in Taupo, in which the swim is the width of Lake Taupo (Lake Taupo being bigger than the whole of Singapore)!!
Taupo is a very active place and even Grandpa goes to the Gym every other day. Aunty Sandy does a big walk every morning too. Pete and I have done a bit of Kayaking, lots of walking and a bit of swimming. We enjoyed a nice boat trip to see some carvings and we tried to sail back but there wasn’t enough wind. The person who owned the boat got a text from a guy in a helicopter that just flew past us, it said “Looks like you could do with some wind, I’ll come back and hover over you”. It was really funny and its nice how everyone knows each other.
Aunty Sandy has an amazing display of some of her art work around the house and spent a lot of time in the studio, it was really good to see some of the things she is working on and I hope to see more of her finished paintings soon. It’s really inspiring.
Aunty Sandy convinced Pete to do the Tongariro crossing today, which is an 19Km walk over the Tongariro Volcano (which is still active), and other adjacent mountains. After catching a coach to the starting point at 5.45am, he started his walk/climb at 7.30am and finished at 2.30, meaning a 7 hour journey which also obviously included a fair few pit-stops given the rough terrain, paths and steep climbs. Im pretty sure 19Km (12 miles) is the longest he’s ever hiked before in one journey, and he came back exhausted and very happy that he’d completed the walk and in good time. Judging by his pictures, it was well worth it!
We leave for River Valley tomorrow, and continue our journey south, we really love it here and would recommend it to all! Grandpa says New Zealand is the Worlds secret! Shhh!
I have seen a few BP Connects, which is where I was working part time. So I would like to say hello to everyone at BP Oakfield. Especially my sister Laura, and one of my best friends, Aman. Also my love goes out to Joy, Marlene, Dan, Ryan, Fiona, Usha and sherrie and her family. And a big hug to Sharron, who is wonder woman and my inspiration. (if any of the above receive this then please print this out or pass my messages on). Pete also says hi to the family, especially Oscar, and to Ant, Brian and the rest of the gang!
Well, Pete and I are having so much fun on the other side of the world. We are 11390 miles away!
Lots of love Kat & Pete
Kat and Pete did an New Zealand Adrenaline Tour as part of their Round the world gap year adventure.
Thailand gap year | Kenya gap year | Brazil gap year | Tanzania gap year | Mozambique gap year | Ecuador gap year | Namibia gap year | Brazil gap year | Tanzania gap year | Mozambique gap year | Ecuador gap year | Venezuela gap year | | south africa gap year | | australia gap year | | africa gap year | | asia gap year | | Fiji gap year | | New Zealand gap year | fitness holiday | Gap Year Diving
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