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NZ South Island Part 2!
The next day involved ice, literally shed loads of it. We were booked on a
day all action glacier trek. Franz Joesf was its name, and my she was a
beast. As everyone knows, ice is pretty cold, freezing in fact, so we would
need our thermal underwear.... thermies are gay and we didnt have any so we
just wore all the clothes we had. This was a bad call, we looked
ridiculously and ridiculously stupid. The rest of the trek people just had
shorts and a jumper on, our guide just had tight shorts and a wife beater,
so we stripped right down.
We were kitted out with all equipment needed, including crampons... with a C
(kate thought the guide had said it with a T, and got slightly confused why
somebody would make her wear a tampon for a hike on ice!) We needed only one
last peice of equipment, saving the best till last, an AXE! The girls
listened to the strict safety briefing while Phil attacked a tree.
It turned out to be a brilliant day. Climbing thru crevices, worm holes,
slicing thru the cold ice with axes....great fun. It wouldn't have been such
a great day if Phil hadnt saved the day, by rescuing the guide from certain
death. While exploring to find the best route the guide (a welsh man
strangely enough) fell and got himself stuck. It took the strength and skill
of Phil, with axe in hand, to pull him free. Phil's hero of the year award
is pending.
We awoke, the next day, with stiff and sore bodies and drove to arguably the
most scenic part of NZ: Lake Wanaka. Our day here included; lots of admiring
the view, phil taking a dip in the lake, which was very cold - resulting in
him having nip-ons the rest of the day, beating some kiwis at
pool....loosers. We tried setting up camp on the edge of the lake, this
didnt go down well with the local police and only just avoided a $200 fine.
With Queens town our next stop we set sail and took the scenic route. When
we past the 'welcome to Queenstown' sign we got a strange sensation... we had just entered the adventure capital of the world and the adrenaline was pumping, well something else was pumping for phil. We thought we start the adventrue off small so hopped on a jet boat... it went pretty fast over water 3inches deep and past cliff etc. The driver turned out to be a fruitcake, whos need for speed was like no other, he scared the b-jesus out of us! And kate was really really soaked by the end, very funny.
Queenstown was also an amazing place çoz it has a ridiculous amount of bars!! We started one evening in the Minus 5 bar, an ice bar, Ice seats, Ice bar, Ice cups and Ice cocktails.... IceIce baby! The night went down hill from there.
We did have one quiet night (quiet nite = less than 10 beers!), the night before Laura booked her bungy. Only the highest bungy in the world - 143m, 8 sec freefall. A hangover would not have mixed well. It took a 45min 4WD truck ride to get to the jump area. Then, after being fitted out with harnesses, a 5min cable car to a small suspended shack where people fell/jumped out. Phil, who had paid to go with lau just to watch, was petrified, Lau had a big smile on her face. It was an amazing jump, see the DVD when we are home. Lau was described as coming up like a fish - suitable way up! During this time Kate was trying to sort out doing some paragliding. Wind stopped play, did so 4 times. Was she ever gona get to do it?
Watching Lau had inspired Phil to grow some ball and booked himself for a sky-swing, a 43m drop and swing 400m over Queenstown.... to say this wasnt enjoyed was a bit of an understatement.
We loved Queenstown. So much so we sacked of driving to Milford Sounds (a highly reccomended sight in NZ) so we could stay another day to get drunk and for Kate to finally do some paragliding. She took the gondola up to the top of the mountain had a man strapped to her back and they just ran off the side of the mountain. The pictures were damn good and Kate loved it; spinning and falling 400m, with a man on her back!!
After truly living it up in Queenstown we headed off on the last leg of the trip. 8 hour drive to Dunedi and in need of some exercise we found a pool. Phil, after chatting up a fit lifeguard, got details of a great all-you-can-eat place in town, we spent the evening there, yes the whole evening till we got kicked out on our now 4 stone heavier asses. Dunedin didnt have much to offer. We met a girl lau knew who showed us all the sights. This included the steppest street in the world, which was steep and well.... that was it. So we headed to Christchurch, our drop off point for our damanged travelling home.
We dropped the camper home, had a sad farewell, made sure we werent gona be charged an arm and a leg for Kate's 'little' accident. (we later found out it was 200squid, could have been worse)
There isnt much else to tell about Christchurch. We swan and ran, as we all felt unfit and Phil only had a week till he had to train with a semi-pro polo team. Then watched DVD's and ate free food and fudge.
End of NZ, now onto the land of dingos, diggeridoos, neighbours, barbies, snaggs, bloody shelias, roos, and the ASHES!
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