So I mentioned previously that I would be travelling through New Zealand on a Kiwi Experience Bus. I was intially unsure about travelling in this way as I felt it might remove some of the freedom and flexibility of backpacking. However, I'm glad to report that I was wrong - It's been an excellent way to get around. It's enabled us to explore the country in the way that we choose while providing us with a guide (his name is Kane - he's a total lad) who has all the local knowledge you could hope for. Kiwi Experience has also been useful in helping us find places to stay, giving us discounts on activities and providing us with a group of 20 fellow backpackers, who we bonded with immediately.
The first day saw us leave Auckland and head East to Mercury Bay. On the way, we made several stops including one at Cathedral Cove which was nothing short of awe inspiring. The views were so scenic and picturesque - The exact reason I wanted to visit New Zealand. On arrival at Mercury Bay, we checked in at our hostel, which was more like a family-run guesthouse. The place was owned by an older couple who had been nice enough to cook us all dinner! We spent the evening eating well, playing pool and exchanging stories with the other passengers on the bus.
The next morning we rose early to make our way down to Rotorua. We stopped off for some hiking through the old railway tunnels of the Karangahake Nature Reserve. Rotorua is a hotspot for geothermal activity so the first thing we noticed was the smell of sulphur and the occurence of boiling mud pools and steam seeping through the streets. A group of us decided to go luging, which basically involved lying on a tea tray and gunning it down a big and windy road - heaps of fun! Part of the reason I'm travelling is to immerse myself in other cultures so that night, I visited a Maori village. On entry, we witnessed the traditional peace offering ceremony. This was followed by some Maori songs, dances, food and of course the Haka, which I managed to get an insane video of!
The next day saw us journey to Waitomo, famous for it's caves. We made a stop at the Agrodome for a spot of sheep herding before arriving at our hostel. I decided to spend the afternoon venturing off by myself rather than joining one of the paid tours of the caves. I was given some rough directions from the hostel reception and then made my way into this rural wonderland. The views would have provided some great photo opportunities had I not left my camera at the hostel. Still, it was an enjoyable hike and managing to do it alone, added a sense of authenticity. That night we cooked dinner and had a few drinks at the local bar.
We left Waitomo the next morning after stopping for another scenic waterfall hike. Our next destination was Taupo. It was in Taupo that I was hoping to complete my first ever skydive, however recent events were making me think twice. Two days earlier, a plane had crashed in Franz Josef, another popular skydiving venue and one of the places we would be visiting in a week's time. The plane had been carrying a group of Kiwi Experience travellers, who like us, were hoping to complete skydives. Unfortunately, the crash left no survivors. I've always been aware of these kind of tragedies happening around the world, however knowing that the individuals on this plane were backpackers just like me, who were simply 4 buses ahead of ours, made it much more of a reality. I decided to go ahead with the skydive. Yes, life is precious, but it's also too short to not live it to its fullest.
The weather had been pretty inconsistent so we were expecting to receive the standard orientation but then have to return the following day for the jump. Remarkably, the weather quickly improved and all of a sudden we were told that we'd be jumping straight away. I decided to pay slightly more in order to complete the higher dive of 15,000ft. In real terms, this meant a free-fall of over one-minute. We got suited up, which included an oxygen mask for the higher altitude! We then boarded the plane and ascended. At one stage during the flight, I asked what altitude we were at, thinking we were probably almost ready to jump - 4,000ft I was told! I couldn't believe how high we were, yet we were only a quarter of the way up! Once we reached the desired height, we leaned out of the plane and made that leap of faith.
Words can not even describe the sensation I felt. It was by far the most exhilarating thing I have ever done. I made sure to bust some moves on the way down for the camera, including the classic cardboard box routine. The parachute opened up at 4,000ft and I then had 5-minutes or so to enjoy the stunning views of Lake Taupo. Soaking up the beauty of New Zealand's landscape on a complete emotional high, while experiencing an adrenaline rush like no other was simply incredible and I couldn't help but think that this was one of those moments I would never forget.
Much love
Sam
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