Twelve of us headed out to Taupo at about 3PM. We had three rental cars to caravan the four hours. Alex (a friend from the Arcadia group) and I planned most of the stuff. Well, I should correct that, he planned and I booked the hostel. I rode in the car with Sarah, Alex, and Kevin. It was fun. I am a valued person for car rides because I brought my iTrip, so we can play our music instead of listening to the radio. Kevin played DJ, Alex drove, and Sarah and I kept the conversations going. Alex almost got us squished by an 18-wheeler, about the most eventful part of our drive. Our conversations ranged from gossip to politics (I know, dangerous). We stoped in Hamilton for dinner at Burger Fuel. A slightly nicer fast food place. We had kumara chips, which are so good and I am going to miss them!
We were the first car at the hostel (good thing because I was the only one with directions there). We had three dorm rooms and mine was right off the kitchen. The hostel was in walking distance of Lake Taupo, the biggest lake in NZ (I think). So, once everyone got there, we walked down. There were pumus stones all along the shore because the lake is right next to two volcanoes. One being Ruapehu, which had just had a minor eruption on Tuesday. Anyway, the fun thing about pumas is it floats. So Max was chucking it at the ducks and it just floated there. It took me a while to figure out what was going on. I thought he had brought bread with him and I was surprised he wanted feathered friends so bad. Some of the guys had cigars, which was really gross. Most of the girls tried to stay away from them because we didn't like the smell and we didn't want to have it in our clothes.
Eight of the twelve went out for drinks that night. The pub we wanted to go to had closed, so we found a really quiet place. Sarah ordered me the same wine as her. It was a white wine and really good, but so far I have yet to pay enough attention to what exactly I like. I have trouble remembering the names, so it misses the point. I just know I don't like beer and I don't understand why Dad always tries the local ones everywhere we go.
Saturday 29 September
We woke up and prepared to sky dive! Some of us were pumped (not me), some were freaked out (not me), and some were dazed (me). Unfortunately, it was overcast and we had to wait for a later time. The weather was expected to clear around noon. So, we piled into our three cars and drove to Huka Falls. This was a massive waterfall that looked like a ride at Disney. The color of the river was a bright turquoise and the drop was about seven meters down and ten meters across. I could just see a raft going down it. I mean, I am not saying the people would be ok, but it looked like fake colored water and a normal water park ride. After this, we went to the Honey Hive. A store just down the way from the falls. We got to try a lot of different honey! Then, if we hadn't had enough sugar, we also had some ice cream. It was some of the best ice cream I have had! I had a pavolva kiwi scoop and a kiwi honey scoop. It was so good and the man working was really nice and picking on us.
We got the call that the weather was better for sky diving, so we headed back to the hostel. They came to pick us up in a limo! I guess they want your last ride to go well. The licence said Jump Us. I thought that was interesting... Anyway, eight of us went to go jump! We had to sign our lives away on 5 by 7 index cards while in the car. The head quarters was in the middle of an open field with their competitors next door. We watched a video of someone's jump, then they explained the multiple ways we could blow all our money at this place. Lets just say we paid a fortune to risk our lives. Some paid heaps more than others for a DVD!
We chilled in the back and watched some other jumpers come down in parachutes. They split our eight into two groups. I went with Sarah, Alex, and Max; my arcadia buddies! I was freaked out at this point. I was jumping, shaking and being really goofy. Steven, Max and I sang the chorus of "Live like you were dying" by Tim McGraw. If you don't know it, then you should invest more time in country music because it is the best! The chorus goes "I went sky diving, rocky mountain climbing,...." anyway, you get the point. Max said it is his list of things to do before he dies and he is checking them off one by one. I think skydiving is the first thing he has done though. I like that idea until I get to the "two point seven second on a bull named Fu Manchu" and then I don't think that is quite my sort of check list. But I do want my life to be like a country song... That is a whole other story...
So, our first four were suited up in these sweet (meaning ugly) blue jump suites. Then we got acquainted with our jump instructors while taking crazy pictures in front of the pepto bismol plain. This thing was so pink you would think Legally Blond went to flight school. We got even closer with our flight instructors as we were sitting in the plain. We crammed in like sardines and took off. You could see Mt. Ruapehu really well once you were past the cloud cover. You could see some of the signs of the eruption, which was pretty cool. To fasten to your jump guide, you had to sit on his lap. Which, is more than interesting in a tiny plain with barely enough head room for one person sitting on their own.
Max had to jump first. Then Sarah. Then ME! You had to put your feet out of the plain and arch your back with your head on the dude's shoulder. He said to act like a giant banana. I didn't tell him that I don't like bananas. I was pretty chill until my feet were out of the plain. Then we just went forward! At first you feel a sudden pressure on your stomach, it is so cool! Your eyes are watering and you are panicked. Then I remember thinking "pay attention, you want to remember this." So, I calmed down again and looked around. He tapped me on the shoulder letting me know I could put my arms out. He put his arm one way or the other to make us spin, which was so much fun! Then he did a motion like swimming, so I did it too; then, he did a dive motion when we went through a whole in a cloud, so I did too. I don't know if I was supposed to copy him, but it seemed like the right idea at the time.
When he pulled the chute, we just lifted up. Sort of like going over the top of a roller coaster. My ears hurt so bad! At the time, I thought it was because of the noise. Later Sarah reminded me my ears needed to pop. I completely forgot about that! Talk about the worst ear bubbles ever! Anyways, with the chute up we just glided down. My guide pointed out the different geographic things, like the mountains and such. The lake looked really cool because it is a sunken crater. The edge of the water was light green because it was shallow, then it just drops into a deep blue color. We could spin with the parachute too and the guide let me hold the steering ropes. He showed me how pulling up and down changed things. It was really neat! I was in control! hehe! I loved spinning.
The landing wasn't bad at all. You just sit down. He tells you to hold your feet up and then you just plop. I was so excited that I ran back skipping. The next group was waiting and taking pictures of us. It was so much fun. While we were waiting for the other group to go, we just sat in plastic lounge chairs. It was great fun. I was on such a life high. I did the 12,000Ft jump.
We went to dinner at 5ish because everyone was starved. We didn't have a real lunch because of the timing. We went to a TexMex restaurant, which wasn't very good in my books. I guess I was just expecting Mexican food and forgot about the Tex part.
We met back with our other third at the hostel. They had a great day out on the lake sailing. It sounded like so much fun. Then, we walked down to the lake again to watch the sunset. There were a lot of ducks and black swans. The swans were so mean! They poofed up their neck feathers at Sarah just for coming near them! The sunset was descent and it got cold fast. But we were having fun on the beach.
We went back and played a competitive game of pictionary. Not everyone was there, some people were at a hot water springs and a couple others were at dinner because they'd been at the lake while we were eating. So, those of us playing totaled five plus Neal, a random OZ guy with long brown hair and a leather jacket. He was really good at pictionary though. I was on the Max and Max team. We won after struggling throughout. It was heaps of fun! Then, we went on an ice cream run to the Pick 'n Save, a really cheap grocery store.
Once everyone was back at the hostel, we went out to an Irish pub to watch the rugby game. They had a live band that wasn't the best, but played some fun songs. I played a lot of Foosball and decided I am no good. I don't know how I ever beat Dad's students, it must have been all Nordo. Or maybe home court advantage.... but probably not. I was the DD and had to round up the crazy kiddies from the playground across the road. Playing mom isn't bad when they don't remember it the next day. Actually, not everyone was having issues, just my car full.
Sunday 30 September
We had to check out at ten and my room was the only one that realized this. So, at 8:45 I began invading rooms. Room one: I jumped on Victoria, who can now sympathize with Nora, and bugged everyone else. They said 30 more min. Room two: I was nicer but they realized it was day light savings and actually 9:45 and we weren't going to get out by ten. I went and talked with the lady in charge and she said she wouldn't charge us. We had twelve people, so that was really nice of her. I got both rooms going and we were out of there by a quarter after. But, she let us go back to the kitchen and eat breakfast.
One of the people who works at the hostel has a brother who works for a bakery. There was heaps of free bread! and a lady working said we could take as much as we wanted. No one else took advantage of the opportunity like me. I stuffed my hokey pokey ice cream box with a loaf of bread. It was the best bread! I figure I learned this type of behaviour from Grandma Matthews because she takes bread rolls at restaurants. I promise, they didn't mind.
I was in the early car back because I had homework. We had to cram five of us in a tiny car. I was in a Max sandwich in the back seat because Leigh was driving and Christophe is a huge dude. I provided interesting Maori health care for everyone who was interested. Which amounted to very few people.
Welp, that is about it! I will get the next couple weekends up ASAP! sorry y'all!
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