NEW ZEALAND 8

THE SOUTH ISLAND!!!! (Our bicycle trip around the South Island continued)
November 22 - December 27, 1999

"Why yes,... that is a historic place!  Oh my gosh, we found it after all this time!"

That historic place just happened to be the Kaurau (sp?) Bridge, the first place of commercial bungy jumping in the world.

So we did it.  Here's Alex's plunge! (I am forgetting the exact height of the jump at the moment, but it was around 150 ft

After our first solo attempts at bungy jumping, we went to The Ledge - and jumped tandem (ie. tied together!) backwards; I don't remember the height, but it was close to 157 ft or so.

Sunset up on the mountain where The Ledge was.

OK, so here is what separates the men from the boys (or for all you feminists, the women from the girls): The Nevis.  440 ft. to the bottom (134 m).  And an 8 second free fall all while hanging from a rubber band.   Oh S**t is right.

A better view of the Nevis.  You fall to the water level in the stream in the distance. 

Yes, that is me, and Alex has a similar picture of himself.  Insane?  US?  no....!

For proof that it is me, here's a close-up of the man on the bike - ME!

EXCUSE ME! But I ordered the LARGE water!

The ride was on gravel road through streams, cows, shrubbery - anything that was in our way!  I even herded sheep on my bike!

RAMBO!!!!!  On the first day of the famous Milford Trek.  I booked this trip on July to hike it in December.  The DoC only allows forty people to begin on the trail per day, and it is reputed to be the most beautiful hike in the world, and although i've not seen the entire world yet, I do agree that is the most beatiful from what I have hiked so far.

From where Alex is, he can see 21 waterfalls.  The entire four day hike was our own waterworld.

The infamous Kea bird, the only alpine parrot whose sharp beak has been known to destroy GPS systems, cars, and Alex's lunch.

We hiked up this valley before crossing McKinnon's Pass.  The walls of the valley are about 3000 ft. tall, and every morning, we awoke to fresh snow on their peaks.

Behind Sutherland Falls on the Milford Trek.  We got a bit wet, but it was a raging and a killer time!

Enchanted.  That is my word for New Zealand and especially for this trip and this picture.  We hiked in an emerald forest of every shade of green you've ever imagined or seen in a Crayola box.  Even Sea Foam Green.  There was probably even a Burnt Sienna or two as well.

Cascading waterfalls, blue pools of water, and green, moss-covered rocks... I could go on, but it would only make you more jealous and me miss it more.

Our lunch spot.

In the Milford Sound, Fijordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand.

   
[ Back ]   [ Home ]   [ Next ]