Queenstown is self-described as the adventure capital of New Zealand. Looking through a local guidebook it's easy to create a lengthy list of crazy adventures that you'd like to do some day. That list might look something like: paragliding, bungy jumping, jet boating, and sky diving. The activities are extreme and creating a list doesn't cause too much mental anguish. But eventually "some day" becomes "today" and you're faced with the cold reality of what you're about to be doing. "Wait a second," you remember. "I'm not really fond of heights, maybe just taking in the view from the top of this mountain will be enough for now."
Taking the gondola up Bob's Peak (creative name, huh?) this morning, several thoughts like this started creeping into the corners of my mind. I don't really like heights, and the thought of stepping off terra firma and soaring three to four thousand feet above Queenstown didn't sound as relaxing as I originally imagined. But the weather has been unpredictable lately and the paragliders said they only had a 30 minute window to take off and would probably be closed for the next few days cause of the winds. So I was determined to step off the cliff. As a bonus I was hoping to do it without screaming like a girl.
The flight was awesome! My fear of heights lasted about 2 seconds, but once we were airborne I forgot all about it. The view, the quiet breeze rustling the sail, and the warmth of an unusually hot winter day was all I thought about. We spent the first part of the trip catching thermals off Bob's Peak. Takeoff is at 2500 feet, the thermals can easily push you to 4000 feet (where you're forced to level off to avoid running into planes). Then we slowly circled around Queenstown getting a great 360 degree view of the Southern Alps as we descended. We finished off with some fun banks and rolls. We managed to get our bodies nearly at the same height as the sail! It was a little strange seeing the sail in front of me, not above me where it belongs. But I was busy enjoying the g-forces the moves create.
Today was a great day for being a tourist, and I got my money's worth. In addition to paragliding, I went on a concrete luge (also at the top of Bob's Peak), played in one of the most elaborate putt-putt courses I've ever seen, and took a trip on the Shotover Jet.
The Shotover Jet is a specially designed jet that needs just 5cm of water depth to operate. And operate quickly. We maxed out at about 80kph (around 50mph) and the whole time we were less than two feet from rocky canyon walls. Oh, and the jet can spin a 360 at around 40kph. It was a very wet boat ride, but again, it felt like an authentic Queenstown experience.
I've got 26 photos to prove it all, you can take a peek over here. Sadly, today was my last day of fun for the week. The Stage One starts tomorrow and it's all business until Saturday. The Stage One is the reason I came here and my plans for the winter on contingent on actually getting this certification. It's time to saddle up and kick some ass this week. See you on the other side.
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