Bedtime Wrap

What a day! It was our most adventurous yet. The other brilliant thing about today, there was sunshine.

First up today. Bungy jumping. Erin wasn't interested and looked at me like I was insane when I suggested it. It was still raining when we left our aaccommodation and I'll admit I was listing excuses in my mind. I can't jump in the rain, it will be closed due to the weather, I can't do this by myself... I'll just not mention it and hopefully everyone will forget I wanted to bungy.

But the excuses didn't add up. The weather cleared and after sitting in the car for a few minutes psyching myself up; in we went. After 5 minutes of signing waivers, weighing myself and handing over my money I found myself standing at a wooden gate wearing a body harness, the number 4 hanging round my neck and my weight written on my left hand. I then watched a man stand on the tiny edge of a platform, heard a staff member yell "3-2-1 Bungy." The man fell off and I heard a high pitched scream of expletives. This is when my knees started to shake. A sudden gust of wind a moment later shook the platform; I was shaking harder now.

The process repeated with another man, his expletives at least where pitched slightly lower; a passable alto.

Click the number above my head changed to 4. It was my turn; I was now shaking from head to toe and forcibly enough that I looked like a wind up toy jittering on the spot.

I was invited through the gate and asked to sit while I watched a man bind my ankles together. As soon as I walked through the gate the shaking stopped (I think the numbness was starting to set in).

I chatted with the two staff members but I can't remember a word that was said. I watched them tighten everything. I repressed the urge to check for myself, mostly because I was more terrified I'd accidentally undo something. I was asked to stand. A staff member started touching parts of the harness, my legs and feet. He mumbled something and I asked him to repeat himself. This was the final safety check I was told. A second staff member repeated the process; this time I heard him count as he touched the harness, my legs and feet.

Far too soon I was told to walk to the edge. It isn't easy to walk when your ankles are tied together and suddenly I was struck with a new fear; what if I tripped and accidentally fell?

Thankfully I made it to the edge without falling. I was told to let go of the metal barrier put my hands above my head, tuck my chin in, back straight, don't jump; just fall and under no circumstances grab at the rope.

"3-2-1 Bungy." My knees buckle and I fell forward. I won't lie, it wasn't a graceful fall; I kinda crumpled forward and off the plantform. While crumpling forward I momentarily thought; I don't want to do this, make it stop. But gravity was in play and there was no backing out.

I didn't scream, I was probably too scared to scream. That intial free fall, petrifying. Every instinct in my body was screaming at me that I am plumting towards my death. I feel like I've left my insides back on the platform. I want it to stop but know there is nothing I can do. Then rope goes tights, I am safe. I have escaped death. The rope flings me back up in the air, suddenly the fear is gone, now I can enjoy this gorge, this beautiful scenery, this weightless feeling as I bounce up and down on a rope.

All too soon I'm lowered into a boat and it is over. I bungy jumped. I can't stop smiling. Geat start to the day.

We leave Lake Taupo and head towards Rotorua. We stop at aMAZEme, a hedge maze. The entrance to the maze has a number of tables with games, like snakes and ladders, lido and checkers set into the face of the table. There is also a nearby giant connect four game. I won at connect four, Erin at tic tac toe.

We enter the maze which is a 6 foot high circular maze. I go left, Erin right with plans to meet in the middle. After about 20 minutes we find each at the entrances, neither of us have found the centre. We set off again, this time together. Success, team work pays off and we find the middle. We celebrate and then take the sneaky one way doors out of the maze.

Zorbing was next and to my amazement, Erin wants to try. We are driven to the top of a hill. At the top sits a giant plastic ball, probably about 7.5 metres in diameter. We squeeze into the centre of the ball which is filed with warm water. Then we start rolling down the hill, gravity pushes us back and the water flicks into our face. 30 seconds later we are at the bottom of the hill and we wriggle out of the ball. I like it so much, I try out the two zigzag courses. Erin decides she prefer to enjoy the sun.

We finished up the day with pizza in town followed by an early night. It's rinse and repeat time, I can't wait for tomorrow.

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