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3/4/09
Today we pack up and head down the road. But our first goal is to return to the airport for our rides. The weather was perfect for flying with no clouds in the sky and little wind. The butteflies inside us get get quite busy though as we get closer to the airport. At this facility the hangglider is towed up by an ultralight to about 3,500 feet and then released. Once we started down the runway it didn't take long to be in the air. The beauty of the farms, fields, hills, and water was fantastic. When we where released from the tow it became very quiet and birdlike. With the altitude and the wind it was very cold. The flight lasted for about 15-20 minutes but it went by so quickly. My pilot was terrific and we had a very smooth landing.
Next was the ultralight rides. We suited up in our flight suits, where taught how to get in and how to sit then off we went. We hadcommunication with our pilotthrough headsets and they where able to tell us about the area. We flew over to Abel Tasman and saw where we hiked the day before. You could see stingrays along the coast close to shore. I know I have said this many times before but this land is so beautiful and certainly by air the perspective even increases.
My favorite of the two flights was the hanggliding because of the peace and quietness. By far this is a must anyone coming here and the company was Able Tasman Air Adventures.
Now on the road to Hopikito. We are about 2.5 hours away and the road is closed. We are sitting by Buller river with many other people waiting for about an hour until the road is passable. There is a gentle breeze but it certainly is the warmest I have been since arriving in NZ, except for the night sweats of course. It seems like the nights do not cool off here as at home. Al states he has been warm at nights as well.
Just before the wait we went into an exhibit in Inangahua that had information about the earthquake in 1920 that killed about 20 people. The aftershocks where level 5 and went from 5:30 Am until 10:30 PM. They continued three more days but not as intense or frequent. There where some incrediable pictures and stories about the quake and the people of that time.
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