NZ Day 19 – Swing low Canyon

Mixing the beers and cocktails is not good for me. With my sleep account seriously overdrawn, I needed an easy day. Rain also woke me up and at breakfast a permanent stream was running down the hotel road. Sky dive had been cancelled again until 2:30pm though looking very doubtful. Shopping and complimentary hotel coffees only delayed the expected cancellation; the sky dive was off again. Our back up plan was to book the Canyon Swing at 4:30pm and find something else to do in between. James played taxi driver and drove us to Arrowtown. I’d read in guides the small mining town had some decent clothes shops and quirky stores but had the feeling it was going to be a crappy retail outlet. I was right as it was both crap and a retail outlet dressed up as cowboy town. Even the café for lunch was rubbish with most of the afternoon waiting for the service and food.

Back in Queenstown for our Canyon Swing and the preparation involved a weigh in and the reception staff member insisting on drawing a snowman on the back of my hand. Everyone received a similarly strange drawing leading to theories of weight, height or how scared we were. The drive was interesting with a single track death trap road. The canyon itself was impressive and the weather holding off to a light drizzle.

We got trussed up in a harness then the nerves started kicking in. None of the safety guys seemed interested in the drawings so our skin graffiti was for nothing. Poor Kerry wanted to do hers as soon as she could but lost her nerve with the pushy safety guys. After a tearful non-starter they changed tactics and actually stopped the over-cheekiness/bullying preparing her for her requested launch position. Basically you attach yourself to a long tarzan swing. Kerry wasn’t prepared to jump but wanted the pull cord above her. It worked a treat and her return was a lot more cheerful, laughing hysterically.

My own experience was not quite as nervy but the same guys bullied me into a normal jump off. Looking down 100 metres is scary but after a few threats of calling me chicken etc. I leaped and shouted as manly as I could then the adrenalin kicked in. It was certainly a lot better then the bungy being a smoother ride. I considered a cheaper second go but mentioned something pathetic like I was skint or something. Look out for the video on YouTube at some point.