Tag Archives: Adventure

12/03/2024
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New Zealand, Travel

Sky Jumping…Again

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

It was back in 2007 when I last jumped off a perfectly sound building. Flash forward a dozen or so years and here I am back on top of the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand.

It was a rather misty day in Auckland. I was super pumped to jump again but the low clouds had me nervous.

Once again, I made my way up to the tippy top of the Tower via elevator and looked out over downtown Auckland.

There were five of us jumping that morning and when asked who wanted to jump first, I hesitated. In that moment of hesitation one of the other people in my group shot their hand up and volunteered. That started a domino effect of every one else going ahead of me.

The waiting was the worst part.

I watched as everyone else jumped until it was just me on the platform.

As I was getting clipped in the guys manning the equipment asked me a few questions and told me to wave at the camera above me. They were excited to hear that I came back to do this jump again.

I told them how that first jump went and they said “oh yeah, we don’t do it that way anymore.” I explained how, on my first jump, they stopped me ten feet after jumping and had me look up for a photo. Not this time. They strapped a GoPro to my hand and walked me out to the ledge.

Back to the weather. It was misting. I was nervous that I was going to slip and fall and flail all the way down to downtown. They counted me down and I didn’t jump when they reached zero. A second or two later I pushed off and plummeted to the ground.

It was exhilarating.

The wind in my hair. Tiny raindrops splattering on me. And the ground – getting closer.

I made a point to look around at the surrounding buildings – as well as scream for joy – because it’s such a unique view and experienced. To jump off of a building in a busy downtown is not something one sees every day. The Kiwi’s are crazy like that. And I mean that in the best way possible.

After landing safely and finding my partner waiting for me, I was ready to do it again. I was so amped up! Alas, we had a flight to catch so this was the one and only time I could jump.

I was unclipped from my harness and free to walk about the Earth and the city once more. I will say this to anyone out there who is hesitant about doing a jump like this: don’t hesitate. Just jump. It’s an amazing experience that you won’t regret.

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25/10/2023
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New Zealand, Travel

Roaming ‘Round Rotorua

During one of our excursions out of Auckland, my partner and I looked for things that both of us would enjoy. Essentially, it was one for her and one for me. I’m going to be recounting what she chose and what I chose for our adventure.

Now, I know that this may frustrating to hear for some of you planners out there but we did not plan everything out day-by-day. We winged it at times but mostly had a rough idea as to what and where we wanted to go see and do.

My partner is in love with trees. Not just any trees either. I’m talking about the mammoth tree that is the Redwood. She can go on and on about how beneficial they are to our ecosystem here in California. So, when she discovered that a few hours away was a Redwood walk she knew she had to go.

Not far from the downtown area of Rotorua is the Redwoods Treewalk. It allows you the ability to get up there with the trees and see what they see…if trees had eyes. It’s a trees-eye view if you will.

The first step I took out onto the suspension bridge scared the hell out of me. I dropped a few inches or so and maybe or maybe not let out a slight yelp. Then I laughed and it was all fine! I was not prepared for the bridge to move as much on the first step. It caught me off guard. Now I am making excuses for being scared…smh.

Taking a walk at tree height gives you, literally, a new perspective on what it’s like to be a tree. OK, not really, but you get the gist of it. It’s just super cool. I’m going to let the photos do the talking for the next few paragraphs. Enjoy.

As you can see, it’s a wonderfully designed experience that, you discover while on the walk, was made with the utmost care for the trees and the surrounding environment. It’s a fantastic nature walk that people of all ages can enjoy.

Now, for the second bit of fun we had in Rotorua…we turn to Zorbing.

That’s right. Z-O-R-B-I-N-G.

Essentially, you hop into a giant hamster ball filled with warm water and roll down a hill. I first remember seeing a Zorb on an MTV’s Road Rules episode, and it’s been in my brain ever since. When I learned that Rotorua is the home of Zorbing, I knew it would be my pick for our activity.

You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque view than this, could you? No.

Strip down, change into your swimmers (or whatever you want to get wet in), and then you’ll be ready to Zorb. It’s an odd experience sliding in a ball half-submerged in water, but it’s a butt load of fun. In between runs, seasons permitting, you’ll have the opportunity to soak in a hot tub or lounge in a mini sauna.

This is one of those experiences that you have to ehh experience firsthand as writing about it does not truly lend the full effect it has on the rider but I’ll do my best here.

You slosh around in a ball not entirely sure what direction you’re facing. The water bounces off you and the walls of the Zorb creating a cacophony that is equal parts exhilarating and disorienting. You will hear your heartbeat through your ears. You will try to sit upright but the momentum and gravity will keep you down. You will laugh. You will scream. You will cheer the entire way down. You will slow to a stop and slide out feet first onto firm ground as you are no longer bound to the liquid womb of the Zorb. Then, you will want to do it again.

That is it for me for today. Thank you for reading and I will see you next time!

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26/09/2023
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New Zealand, Travel

Why Do I Jump?

I love doing adventurous things. Hell, it’s in my tagline right up there beneath the title of my site! I might be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Who can say?

If there’s a building, bridge, platform etc. that I can jump off, I’m going to do it. You can clearly see my header image is of me jumping off a structure. That’s Bloukrans Bungy in South Africa. I wrote about it here.

As far as my partner goes for these sorts of things…not so much.

She’s grounded. Grounded in the sense that she likes her two feet on the ground whenever possible. She does a great job at being ground support. We love her folks, don’t we? Yes.

Back in 2007, when I first went to New Zealand, I jumped off of the Sky Tower and Auckland Harbour Bridge. I knew way back then that New Zealand was an extreme sport capital. Sixteen years later, I still know it. This time I went to a new bungy location: Lake Taupo.

Lake Taupo view from Hilton Lake Taupo

To start it off, Lake Taupo is gorgeous. The town is lovely and the views are spectacular. In the summer, it’s a truly happening spot. In the winter, it’s still happening but not as much. BUT! They have bungy (among other things) and that is year round.

Let’s start with the walk out. The fine folks at AJ Hackett have the utmost respect for you and your safety. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t still be letting people jump off of buildings and structures after all of these years now would they?

They strapped me in. Made sure I was as snug as a bug in a rug in my harness and let me walk out to the bridge. Ok, it was more of a waddle since the harness is a bit snug in some of the more sensitive areas of the body. Let me tell you all this right now, Tom Petty was right, the waiting is the hardest part.

Feeling good, anxious, but good

I stood looking out over the river/gorge/water & land below waiting for what felt like an eternity. I saw two people jump ahead of me and then anticipation was killing me. I waved at my partner who would have her two feet firmly on the ground for the entirety of my jump as I continued to wait.

Then it became my turn.

I sat down and they hooked me in to the bungy apparatus. This is their job so the guys there were as cool as could be. If you’re still super nervous at this point just talk to them. Talking makes it easier. The tension will release and you’ll forget all about your nerves. As someone who has done a bungy or two here and there I was still nervous. It had been 10 years since my last jump. Talking to the workers strapping me in calmed me down and, for lack of a better term, grounded me.

Bye mom!

After that was all taken care of I shuffled my way to the very edge of the platform. The tips of my shoes were on the edge. Pro tip here: don’t look down now if you’re still nervous. Pick a spot on the horizon and look at it. I looked up, waved at a camera, and then turned my attention to the empty space beneath me. Maybe I should have followed my tip above because for a fleeting moment I felt the nerves again.

The guys behind me counted down from three. After they said the word “BUNGY!” I jumped. Gravity took care of the rest.

Only one way to go now

With the wind whipping my face and the blood rushing to my head I felt truly alive. The water came at me fast but I kept my form and my wits about me. Unlike the Auckland Harbour jump I did before, I did not get wet. I stayed dry. Except for my eyes. They were watering because the rush of blood to my head was so intense! I forgot all about that part of it. I bobbed for a bit and realized that I just jumped again. Woohoo!

The lads below me in a dingy floated over and reeled me in. After they unhooked me from the bungy and had me take off the harness that was it. I walked back on solid ground up to my partner who had both looks of fear and excitement in her eyes. I was still buzzing from the jump and wanted to get my photos and video. I did just that and then went about my day as if I hadn’t just done something extreme. Just a normal day for me in New Zealand.

Thanks for visiting. Make it a great week and I will see you later!

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22/02/2015
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New Zealand, Travel

When In Wanaka

After spending a few months on the island continent Australia I was itching to spread my wings. I had a semester break at the end of September/beginning of October and I knew where I wanted to go: New Zealand.

The scary part was that I was going to be doing this 100% on my own. I wasn’t going to meet anyone there that was part of my university or study abroad group. I was doing this for me. It was a huge step for me to travel and make plans on my own and it gave me confidence for future travel adventures. In my head I already knew that I wanted to go and see some of the Lord of the Rings filming locations, so I made it a mission to do just that. I decided to start my adventure on the South Island or Te Waipounamu in the city of Queenstown and I booked a day tour that would take me around to various locations used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings films.

An odd connection from Brisbane to an overnight in Melbourne to an AM Sydney flight and running through the Sydney airport to catch a flight, then a few hours staring out a Qantas window, a movie about a Scottish cyclist (The Flying Scotsman) and a crappy Robin Williams movie (License To Wed) later … I landed in Queenstown.

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I had arranged to be driven to Wanaka via a shuttle bus. the only problem was that I didn’t know/remember the name of the bus. This was before the smartphone era so I had to boot up my laptop and then try and find WiFi at the airport and STILL, I was stuck. I knew when I was going to be picked up, but I didn’t know by who. When the time came to be picked up I wandered around the shuttles and saw one. I guess I looked lost because the driver immediately asked if I was going to Wanaka and if I was staying at the Minaret Lodge B&B. I was relieved that he named the right place! I handed him the money I owed and off I went.

I stared out the window and took in the beautiful scenery. I hadn’t seen anything like it before. Everything was so green and pristine. Truly beautiful.

The bus snaked up a windy road and when we reached the top, I was surprised to see snowflakes fall lightly on the window. It was nearly October. It was supposed to be transitioning from Spring into Summer. Brisbane was warm-to-hot nearly every day. I also hadn’t seen snow fall since I was about 10 or 11 years old. I nearly forgot what it looked like.

One-by-one, and sometimes more, people were being dropped off at their respective hotels until it was me and two other people left. The sun had gone down long ago leaving only the orange glow of the streetlights to cut through the darkness. The bus pulled up to a driveway covered in tiny pebbles and I was let out. I was greeted by a kind woman, who was also the owner, who showed me to my Hobbit-sized room.

After traveling all that way, I had nearly forgotten that I had booked a room that would make me feel like a hobbit.

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After getting settled the owner asked if I wanted to head into town to get some dinner, since she was heading there. I would have to walk back, but I didn’t mind so I took her up on it and she dropped me off right next to the restaurant she recommended to me: The Cow. Situated right next to the Post Office, The Cow Pizza & Spaghetti House, is truly one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. It’s a warm and inviting place full of history and great pizza. I sat down, ordered one of the local seasonal beers and of course a pizza.

I don’t recall a time before this where I went out to dinner by myself. It was nice. I was able to take in everything around me. I felt the warmth of the wood fire, I heard the locals talk and I saw people young and old enjoying the ambiance, each other and the food. You can’t beat that.

At the end of my meal I noticed a few t-shirts hanging around and I asked the waitress which one looked better on me. She told me the tan one and it’s still a shirt that I own and wear to this day.

On my way back to my room I took the road parallel to Roys Bay and you know what I heard? Nothing. It was a silent, quiet night and I was able to enjoy the serenity of a nighttime lakeside walk on the aptly named Lakeside Rd as I made my way back to my Hobbit-sized room.

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30/10/2013
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Africa, South Africa, Travel

The Biggest Leap of Faith

“What’s wrong John?” asked the man suiting me up.

“Huh? Nothing.” I replied.

“Why are you jumping off a perfectly good bridge?” He asked with a smile and a laugh.

Why am I jumping off a perfectly good bridge? It seems like a stupid thing to do a good way to earn a one way trip to the hospital. Only, it’s not. It’s the most exciting thing I have ever done and maybe the smartest. OK, smartest might be pushing it but it was one of the best decisions I made since I have been in South Africa.

I have a natural fear of heights, as most people should. I mean, you lean over something and look down and see the bottom is hundreds of feet below and your natural reaction is to get back from the ledge. It’s a normal human reaction. But why then would you want to jump off that sound structure?

For the thrill.

It’s that simple. Bungy jumping provides an adrenaline rush like nothing else I have ever done. I’ve bungied twice in my life (the first time being off Auckland Harbour Bridge in 2007) and each time I was afraid to jump but went ahead with it because I knew it would be the thrill of a lifetime. Having jumped off Bloukrans in Plettenberg Bay, the world’s tallest bridge bungy, I can say that I have lived.

One thing I will say is that the walk out to the jump platform is the worst part of the entire experience. The metal grate walkway bends with each step you take and you wonder “When was the last time this bridge was tested? I can feel it bending and that’s not normal.” It also doesn’t help if you look down and see the ground below. Bad idea.

If I have one piece of advice to give about this bungy it’s this: Don’t look down. It will ruin the surprise. Pick a spot out on the horizon that is at your level and don’t lose contact with it. This is exactly what I did. I stared straight out and when the bungy guys behind reached 1 and yelled “BUNGY!!!” I bent my knees and pushed off as hard as I could and I flew. I flew through the air and as my body plunged toward the ground below I couldn’t help but flail my arms a bit because the fear inside me took over but I didn’t regret doing it. Not. One. Bit. And as I dangled under the bridge, the mantra of Face Adrenalin popped into my head and reaffirmed my decision: “Fear is Temporary. Regret is Forever.”

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