That's okay though, I had about as much excitement in Auckland as my old bones could take. It started with a culinary adventure on Friday night where we dined on chicken livers and kangaroo. You know what tastes like kangaroo...nothing. I think this is truly a unique taste. I could never bring myself to eat it previously, mostly because I once bonded with Niaa Red Kangaroo in the Tarongo Zoo in Sydney; I always felt that eating kangaroo would be a betrayal to her. Well I got over it and I am sorry to say Nia but your cousin was delicous.
Saturday morning was glum and overcast but that did not deter the spirits of Barry, Matt and myself as we prepared ourselvesto take a leap off one of the tallest structures in the Southern Hemisphere (Ma
tt is the American who is currently stationed in Afganistan that we met while rafting in Waitomo - he was travelling alone so he met up with us for his last few days as well). After the humiliating weigh in and superhero suit donning we made our way up to floor 53, for a last minute safetybriefing before the scariest walk I have ever taken. The guys as mission control did a great job at calming my nerves; chatting, playing music, I was almost breathing at a regular rate when I stepped out onto the platform. The last few secondswere a blur before I jumped 192m or 630 feet straight down...I remember wind, rain and the music in the background - Knockin'
on Heaven's Door by Guns'n'Roses. I hummed it the whole way down. SkyJump is described as base jumping with a wire, so unlike by crazy friend Gabe who replies on a parachute, I was relying on a wire to catch me and lower me gently to the ground. It's not quite like that - it takes 11 seconds to get down and the wire seems to merely stop you from splatting witha quick jerk, it does not gently glide you to the ground as I had envisioned. It was still an exhilirating 11 seconds of which I still have not regained my voice fully from the bloodcurdling scream I let out.
Feeling exh
Have you ever seen the movie - Night at the Museum? Well Auckland Museum had a night intended for kids aged 6 - 10 (or adults who've had a few beers) to searc
So it's done. Car returned, awkward conversation had, 2 flights down and the end is in sight. Thanks to Barry and Jeanette who were two fantastic travel partners. Also thanks to Matt whose late presence helped make Auckland awesome. And last but not least, special thanks to Cathy, Craig, Nevin, Mike, Shannon, Juh, Beks, Brett, Phoebe, Moley, Barbie, Rebecca, Zoe, the All Blacks and the countless people who gave advice before the vacation. Finally - to all the fantastic New Zealanders thatwe met while there - your hospitality was overwhelming.
OMFG this is great!
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