We are alive(previous) up (next) We Jumped!!!

Off to the North Island : 15 November 2003

We have ditched the first Contiki crew, and are mentally preparing for the next. In the mean time, we're in an airplane at 14,000 feet contemplating our 15,000 foot dive to come. Aaaaahhhh!!!

We spent our last night of the official South Island Tour in a tiny little town (?) called Fox Glacier. We where originally scheduled to helicopter up onto the top of the Glacier but the weather, once again altered that plan. Instead we hiked through a rain forest up the side of a mountain like goats to get to the Glacier. We had to put on cramp-ons once we got to the ice, we felt like true mountain people, personally, I felt like yodelling...

The town had all of about 250 people. 200 worked on the mountain, 50 were our tour group. You know you seriously get out of L.A. when you think "I could live here." Scary. It rains 200 days out of the year. Not a light drizzel, the place gets 5 meters of rain a year. Up closer to the glacier itself, that hits 7 meters of rain.

Fox Glacier itself was beautiful, though. The ice was an amazing color of blue. Too bad Robin was taking black and white pictures. Andrea got a lot on digital, in the photo section. The pictures don't really do it justice, but they rarely do.

That evening the group met in the hotel restaurant for yet another "Fabulous and ymmie" meal of meat and potatoes...blah....Robin was in heaven. From there everybody moved into the Saloon for a stimulating game of pop the balloon while getting loaded and playing pool with 40 people and two pool sticks... ....Can you see what we have to put up with..ha ha..in any case we slipped out ASAP. We figured we'll cruise around town, check it out...well that took about 1 minute. We did, however, enjoy dodging the famous New Zealand Kea, parrots that look as fat as owls and as sly as hawks and fly at you like torpedos...

The scenery in New Zealand is beautiful, though. At one point in the tour, they put on the second Lord of the Rings and the view outside the window made us feel like we were actually in the movie. And on our flight just now we passed some volcano down there that was a perfect cone shape with a perfect circle of snow on the top. We can't wait to see what the North Island has to offer, even if it means suffering through stupid games and drunken teens.

We went out to dinner with our new Australian friends, Gareth and Angie, last night, we happily skipped the last "Yummie" group dinner. We went to the main strip in town where Gareth proceeded to eat grub....a worm like bug, really disgusting. From there we went to watch the big Rugby game..New Zealand vs. Australia. The city was insane...the Aussies won...The headline of the paper this morning said "World Chumps" with a picture of some of the All Blacks team...Tough crowd. We had a fun night. We are looking forward to hooking up with Angie and Gareth in Australia, amongst a few other Aussies that we are now friends with.

We're now in Auckland, hmmmmm, not quite the same as Christchurch or anywhere we've been yet. First of, our room reaks of stinky socks...gross. Second, the city is taken over by Subway sandwich shops, Burger Kings and McDonalds. It's very Industrial here, alot of traffic and a million backpackers. We miss the waterfalls, lush rainforests, and snow capped mountains. Aaaah well....we get to meet up with a new Contiki group tomorrow..yippie! At least it's a ride to the Bay of Islands wich is our next stop. My new plan is to wear headphones and/or act like I'm asleep on the bus when they start playing their stupid "Get to know each other" games. We're such the social bunch, typical Americans.

Well, we're off, we have to allow ourselves some time to hand translate to the korean guy that works here that we want to post this. Crazy town. And there's a nearly unbearable stench that just swept over this Internet cafe, too. What's wrong with this city???

Replies: 10 comments

Hey guys, just got home and thought we'd have a quick look at your page.. where are you finding the time to do this?! we will definately be checking up on you as often as.. well as often as we remember so write up lots of gossip for me! :)

Posted by Angie @ 11/16/2003 04:55 PM PST

So, did you jump???

Posted by Andrea and Robin @ 11/18/2003 07:02 PM PST

Of course i did.. i should say we did! but then again it's all about me!! ;)
Bungy is better tho.. it's got more fear factor... you're too high to realise you're plummenting to your death with sky diving... gareth disagrees.. he prefers sky diving..

Posted by Angie @ 11/20/2003 12:41 AM PST

ok, how about a swimming pool and
an umbrella drink break ??? (just one)
Absolutely NO base jumping, thrillseekers! Aric knew someone he
used to work with who did it. Not Good!!

maybe a ferriswheel or rollercoaster:)

miss you, hope you're well.
love michelle

Posted by michelle @ 11/20/2003 11:32 AM PST

Hey is it my computer or are you guys too busy at the moment to let us know what's happening.. did you do the sky dive in tapao ????
where are you now?

Posted by Angie @ 11/22/2003 09:06 PM PST

who the hell is michelle steinau

Posted by adrian@sighteffects.com @ 11/25/2003 06:47 PM PST

That was Alans comment......

Posted by adrian @ 11/25/2003 06:48 PM PST

Michelle is this neurotic hottie that probably became that way (neurotic) from working at this place called Sight Effects. She was last seen with some African-American guy... or was he Greek? Sorry Aric... ha ha ha...

Posted by Andrea & Robin @ 11/25/2003 07:32 PM PST

Yo Angie! (Does Gareth get no love??)

Did you like the picture of Gareth's dinner we posted? We fear it was more memorable for us. We're alive again, sorry for the delay: No access. We jumped! 12,000 feet (the highest they were licensed for). It was awesome. Nevis, no comment. Robin actually preferred Nevis but he's not right in the head. Andrea's just psycho as a result of Nevis...

Posted by Andrea & Robin @ 11/25/2003 07:37 PM PST

Gareth gets plenty of love :) he just doesn't get a mention in the replies :) i'm the more important one anyway! :) Robin- you and i are on the same wave length... bungy heaps better :)

Posted by angie @ 11/30/2003 11:19 PM PST


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