We woke early one again to catch a 7:15 bus to the Milford Sound! This is supposed to be one of the greatest spectacles on the trip, but it was sub par in my opinion. The bus ride takes about 4 hours, which is a little long, but the real problem is the stops. First there is two hours of driving, then for the next hour there are like 20 stops, occuring 150 meters down the road from each other, really just ridiculous. The landscape however was fairly magnificent. We had arrived during the season when these really pretty purple and pink flowers are everywhere (which are actually weeds because they are not indigenous and threaten native plant life, but pretty none the less).
We eventually arrived to the sound (which is really a fiord not a sound) where we boarded our cruise ship. The cruise was a little less than two hours long, with magnificent views up mountains full of trees surrounded by water. There are some pretty cool waterfalls too, and we saw some seals or sealions or something (they were small like otters, but I think they were seals, definitely not otters). Anyway, the cruise came to a close and then we had a grueling 4 hours back. Not the best day we've had, but still something special like nowhere else I've ever seen. I guess we are just getting a little spoiled by all the magnificent beauty here. We returned and hit the sack to prepare our minds for the day ahead of us... bungy day!
We signed up for what is called the "Thrillogy." This includes:
The Bridge: the first bungy jump ever
The Nevis: currently the second highest jump at 134 meters, and
The Ledge: which allows you to jump in any fashion you wish with a view 400 meters above Queenstown.
We arrived and awaited the bus picking us up at 9. It transported us to "The Bridge" and we signed in and walked across the bridge. There were already a lot of people there and there is a big crowd watching from a side platform. Here you have an option to "take a dunk," which means you alter your jump in order to dip down into the river 43 meters below... I took this option.
So dressed in only my speedo I took to the air and it was.... awesome!! I didn't really know what to think and it only lasted a few seconds then splash! I bounced back up, adrenaline filled and completely disoriented. Bungy jumping is the coolest thing ever invented. No stress on the stomach, just falling a far distance NOT followed by death and dismemberment. Cool Beans. Derek was a little nervous, but did it without the dunk and said it got his stomach a little, but he still enjoyed it.
We gathered our things and got back on the bus to "The Nevis." "The Nevis" is more secluded. You have to take a private dirt road up a mountain to it and there at the top, strung between two mountains is a small metal box where people jump to live. We harnessed up and boarded the transport car to the box. They suited us up and we waited for the first guy to go. AAAHHHHHH for 8.5 seconds and then back up proclaiming "best thing ever!!!!" The next guy went, not as much sound, but crazy to watch still. The "pod" has a partial glass bottom where you can watch the others and see what awaits you. Then it was my turn...
I sat in the chair as they attached me to the pod and safetied me up. I walked close to the edge. I shuffled my toes to the end. I looked down. It was far. Then I looked out, 5-4-3-2-1............... and I flew. Seriously the most liberating, exciting feeling I've ever had. I put my hands down to my sides because it helps you gain extra speed and I could feel my face flapping. It is the single most incredible extreme thing I've ever done. Understand the coolness and funness yet?
Then it was Derek's turn. And he was a little nerve racked to say the least. It took him a second to step over into the chair to get done up, but they talked him into it. You could see him shaking a little, but he got up a walked toward the edge... and stopped. They urged him on, but he didn't budge. He went back and sat in the chair as they unhooked him. We all cheered for him but he wasn't feeling so froggy. They talked to him for another 5 minutes as he tried to close his hands, which had seemed to be frozen flat. He couldn't move them. But we cheered, and they did him up again, and he walked once again to the edge....5.....4.....3.....2.......1........................................
And he flew!!!!! I thought he was going to hate it until I heard the echos of happiness over the mountain side. He though it was awesome! I was really proud of him, he was totally freaking out, but he still went for it, and LOVED it! Then didn't stop talking about it.... which was cool because none of us and no one else could stop talking about it either. Great time and we still had one more to go!
We hopped on the bus back to Queenstown, got another "Fergburger" and headed up the gondola to "The Ledge." We were big shots, high and mighty, we weren't scared of this measly 43 meter plumit situated hanging 400 meters above the city.... until we got to the edge. It's a little more than intense. Derek went first this time and for pictures sake decided to pretend to read a book as he jumped.... but his instincts got the best of him and instead he ended up in the same flying squirrel pose screaming all the way down. I decided to go for a gainer (running forward, jump off and do a backflip).
The guy told me about how I should hold the rope to do such a thing and that I had to throw it out of the way before it ended or it was going to come up and smash my face. There really was not a lot of room to run, so I ran as much as I could, jump flipped, flattened myself, and then felt the rope start to pull as it was right in front of my face... I whisked it away just in time with a little barrel roll action to save my face from destruction. Phew! It caught and I will disperse them and put them up here once I get to a place with more internet time and such.
Then to have a little less risky fun we did this street luge thing... along with all the 10 year olds in Queenstown. It was actually pretty sweet. We boarded the gondola down and got into the car to continue our quest for Christchurch! Drove about halfway, crashing for the night and finishing to return the car in the morning. The scenery is once again beautiful. We have crossed the mountains where the rain reaches and are now in an area of really beautiful plains and valleys with the mountains still in direct site. It is really beautiful here, I know when I drive back to school I will appreciate it more.
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