Queenstown – Obviously EXTREME

Queenstown was our last stop in New Zealand and is famously known for its extreme activities – what a better way to leave our first country of a trip of a lifetime. Arriving in this mountain town (a Banff like vibe for those back home) you are instantly struck by the “totally extreme” ambience. Knowing we would be partaking the next question was, what to do? shall we…

• jet boat?
• bungy – if so which one? Nevis, 134 m freefall? maybe…
• skydive?
• canyon jump?
• canyoning?
• mountain bike?
• paragliding?
• hang gliding?
• whitewater rafting?
• and the list goes on…

DECISION TIME

There are so many things to choose from. Nevis was definitely high on the list before we even left Canada but canyon jumping, hmmm…sounds fun! After some careful consideration, canyon jumping it is! Now lets sign up and pay before we chicken out, especially for Jarrett who is only doing it because he could not let me jump and look like a wimp, haha Okay – booked, we paid for it, all we have to do is show up the next day at noon.

JUMP DAY

Jarrett Playing it Cool before the jump

We show up and are immediately handed forms to fill out which in summary say “sign here and if you die you and your family cannot sue” – GREAT we are ready to go! Next we hop in the van where we met our fellow jumping companions, one guy who does not want to do the canyon jump at all and is completely terrified, but won it as a prize haha. About half way up the canyon Jarrett is already sweating, clammy hands and all as he looks at me and says, “scared?” haha – no but I could tell he is.

Jarrett preparing/crapping his pants

We approach the edge of the canyon, strap on our harnesses and the guide asks, who wants to go first?…everyone looks nervously around and DOWN with no response…so I volunteer. I step up to the edge of the platform and the guides try to scare me by pushing my shoulder and telling me to make sure to jump in the right direction to prevent my head from smacking against the cliff…finally he says jump, so here I go… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! 150 km/h,  60 m free fall, and a 200 m swing down from the top of the canyon and within seconds I am hanging in the middle of a breathtaking canyon view! WOW, what a rush! I get to the top and I kindly inform the guides that my husband is terrified of heights, haha… Jarrett asks me how it is as he hands me the camera and I wait for him to be “ready”to go….

Finally, I see him step up to the platform, and the guides are tormenting him as they lean him over the edge while holding on to him, and he screams like a 10 year old girl, haha….and then as he jumps as the guides shout, NO WAIT! and Jarrett starts flailing in mid air like a fish on the beach. After all that, he is over the initial fear and wants to go again…all fine and well but the rule is you cannot do the same jump twice, meaning if you jumped forwards last time you cannot do it again you must go backwards, upside down, hands tied behind your back, or tied to a lawn chair which was Jarrett’s choice. After strapping him onto the chair they taunt him even more then last time as he leans backwards in a chair off a cliff…I am nearly peeing my pants laughing when I hear him screaming all the way down the canyon, comedy!

Ahhh, the jump is over, we didn’t die, the adrenaline is flowing, and Queenstown lives up to its reputation – absolutely amazing, would recommend it to anyone! Stay tuned for some pretty comical video in Episode 4…

If you are in Queenstown and want to canyon jump, check these guys out, they were awesome fun! http://www.canyonswing.co.nz/