Swan Dive Like a Flying Kiwi

Of all the adrenaline activities I have chosen to engage in since my arrival in this country filled with caffeinated daredevils, very few of them have actually made my stomach plummet to the ground ahead of my body. On the last day of my tour with Flying Kiwi, it was time to change that fact.

We woke nice and early, and I spent some time sorting through my belongings to pack them in a more transportable form (rather than small bags and piles of things in various spot on and under the bus). I was leaving Queenstown with the Flying Kiwi bus, but hopping off an hour or two into the day’s drive. We joked about how I’d have to have all my stuff together so they could just slow down and push me out. After I was a bit more organized, it was time to catch a shuttle bus out to the Kawarau Bridge.

Kawarau Bridge/Gorge/River, Queenstown

The Kawarau Bridge is a historic suspension bridge that attracts tourists on its own accord. It sits above the Kawarau River and has a nice old-fashioned-looking structure to it. It is also famous for being the home of the world’s very first commercial bungy jump.

I might have been a bit excited...

Flying Kiwi Solo Expedition: A Walk with My Camera

I have mentioned before how when you’re a backpacker, it seems like a luxury to spend two nights in the same place. So often you are moving from place to place, packing up each morning and scrounging to find what you need throughout the day without fully unloading your pack. It was not much different while on the Flying Kiwi tour. Although most of us had “our seats” on the bus and kept some belongings on board, we still needed to take down our tents and load up the bus each morning before we hit the road. There was always a daily task of figuring out what items and articles of clothing you might want to access throughout the day, depending on the weather and activities. Being the first passenger on the bus as it left Nelson, I managed to score the front seat to claim as my own, and even usually had the seat next to mine to use as well! It was nice to keep some shoes on board in case I wanted to hop off on a cycling adventure, and of course having a rain shell handy proved useful a time or two!

After we left Milford Sound, we dropped a few keen trampers off at the start of the Routeburn Track (one of NZ’s great walks – complete with expensive huts during peak season that I wasn’t eager to pay for) and continued back to Te Anau, where we were staying for the next two nights. Two nights! It was a welcomed rest for wary travelers. We had the option to do whatever we wanted with our day in between. There was talk of going four-wheeling, taking a ferry to a glowworm cave, walking part of the Keplar track and taking a shuttle bus back to town, and several other options that people were considering. I was intent on finding a free activity to occupy my time, and decided I would be quite happy if I wound up exploring by myself. It had been a solid week of riding the tour bus with the same people and though I had met some lovely fellow travelers, I have explained in previous posts how much I enjoy and cherish traveling solo!

Encountering Sunny Milford with Flying Kiwi

You may remember these pictures from my first trip to Milford Sound (technically a fiord) with my family back in December. We went right after Christmas in the middle of NZ’s summer, which is of course the high season for any tourism operation. Milford is on most any “must see” lists you will come across for NZ. It consists of stunning mountains that plunge dramatically into the water and countless streams flowing off those mountains and dropping into the waters below. The shape of the fiord was carved by a glacier and there is an interesting occurrence of freshwater sitting on top of the saltwater coming in from the Tasman Sea.

Reflective Sunrises, "Beach Balls," and Flying Kiwis in Disguise

We had a fairly tame day following the adventure in Hooker Valley as we headed back out to the east coast with a brief stop in Oamaru. We continued just south of there to our lovely campsite on a grassy cliff overlooking the beach where we had a bit of an epic dinner preparation while trying to battle the severe winds! 

When broomsticks weren’t cutting it, I was stationed to hold up the kitchen door which was supporting tarps to block the wind so the stove wouldn’t blow out… that is until I used a bit of “kiwi ingenuity” and suggested a supportive strap being attached to the bike rack on top of the trailer!

A Few Extreme Flying Kiwi Adventures!

After we enjoyed some post-whitewater-rafting hot showers, it was time again to hit the road. We stopped briefly in a town called Geraldine (pronounced by our guide with a proper southern drawl) and then headed toward Lake Tekapo. Some of us hopped off the bus early to enjoy a bike ride into our camp at a holiday park on the shores of the lake. We were told it was a fairly easy ride, but there might be some wind.

It turned out to be one of those rides where I wished I could have changed my mind 1 km down the road. The bus pulled away and we set off, immediately encountering some headwinds. It was a struggle to power through and we had about 25 km to go! Once again, those riders with machine-like quads took off, though they didn’t disappear quite as quickly this time. Naomi and I fell into pace again as we struggled to battle the severe winds.

First glimpse of Lake Tekapo

It was a relief each time we approached a downgrade, as I got my hopes up for some easier pedaling and a moment to rest while gravity took over to carry me down the hill.

Whitewater Rafting with the Flying Kiwi Crew

Since I had skipped out on swimming with dolphins during my second visit to Kaikoura, it felt like it had been a couple days since I participated in any of the optional adventurous activities available to us on the Flying Kiwi tour. Sure, I chose to do the cycling rides and any short walks that were available, but there is something about New Zealand and the spirit of adventure it encourages. This is particularly evident when surrounded by a busload of people, most of whom are only in the country for a short time. Adrenaline activities are everywhere in NZ, and it’s easy to be persuaded into joining in!

The van when it was almost full... getting ready for some water!

We were camped outside the home base of Rangitata Rafts and, in the morning, some of us gathered to head whitewater rafting down the Rangitata River! We were suited up with wetsuits, thermals, booties, fleeces, wind shells, life jackets, and helmets, and then piled into the van for a ride up the river to our launching site. When I say piled into the van, there were about 15 passengers, 6 crew members, and a dog… oh, and don’t forget the hitchhiker we picked up along the way who had to stand in the stairwell!

Photo courtesy: Rangitata Rafts

We had been given a safety briefing and were broken up into our three rafting groups at the river’s edge. The guides were good at getting us psyched for the ride and we hopped in our raft to set out down the river. Our guide sat in front at first, giving his spiel about how to paddle, how to stay in the boat, and what to do if anyone took an unexpected swim.

Goodbye Nelson, Hello Flying Kiwi #3

I spent three days in Nelson before I hopped back on the Flying Kiwi bus. It was great to be able to see my friends again (even though a few were a bit confused because I had said goodbyes in case I didn’t make it back) and have a bit of time to gather my thoughts in “solo-travel mode” before spending a week with a busload of people! I spent the days wandering town, swimming in the Maitai River (at my favorite swimming hole, of course), catching up online at the library and blogging. The evenings I spent with climber friends. We had our usual Thursday night climb followed by drinks at the Free House (complete with adorable puppy!)

That night it was decided that we would return the next night (where else would we go?) in “fancy dress,” just for fun! It’s always fun when you can get a whole group of people on board to dress up!

We looked pretty good for a bunch of climbers, so naturally had to have a modeling shoot.

Slow Travel

I've decided that I am meant for "slow travel." Whether hiking or walking or taking in scenery or visiting a museum or even making plans, I like to follow my own pace. Sometimes it is quite fun to plan a day chock-full of activities and meals and adventures, particularly if you have a time restraint. Some of my favorite memories include times where I planned out several highlights of whatever town I was living in, in order to show around a visitor who was only there for a short time. There are times, however, where one or two things per day seem to be plenty, and allow you time to relax and enjoy yourself for the rest of the day. This may sound lazy or boring, but I have come to really appreciate my down time when it comes!

I have been in New Zealand for a month so far, and I love it. I have had crazy busy days where I crash into my pillow at the end of the day, but I have also had a few laid back days where I accomplished hardly anything. Of course I enjoy looking back at the days where I can't believe that I did so many things, and went so many places, but they sure are tiring! I am beginning to prefer the days where I do one or two things of note, but also allow some time to breathe, to take in the world, to reflect, to stretch, and to write.