Slept in late today, first time since the start of our trip. Headed out for an expensive and not-too-appetising breakfast at the local cafe, before leaving on our blackwater rafting trip. The guide took us to the headquarters where we were issued our wetsuits and equipment. The wetsuits felt slimy, wet and disgusting, but it kept me surprisingly warm from the biting cold and freezing rain. It took me about 15min to struggle into my wetsuit, long after everyone else had finished changing. And then we were off to the startoff point. Spent 20min familiarising and practising with the gear and techniques required, before we finally abseiled 25m down a narrow limestone shaft into a cave. I saw fossils in the rock strata, was quite tempted to steal a couple home, but its rather difficult to dig through solid limestone with just your finger nails. What happened for the next 3 hours was a subzero nightmare. We first did a flying fox in absolute darkness across a 10m chasm, dived into a freezing cold underground river with nothing more than a rubber float and our wetsuits, paddled and swam over 1km, hiked over mini rapids, climbed up waterfalls and battled currents so strong I lost my footing so many times I lost count. In fact, at one point of the trip, my hands were shaking so badly from the cold I couldn't drink the hot juice the guides offered us without spilling the contents. The water is a killer, it just saps your warmth away from your body and leaves your muscles feeling lethargic and heavy. I'm amazed I even made it out of the caves. It was like trying to do an advanced SOC course in freezing temperatures. And I thought I saw the last of the SAF after I ORDed...
After the trip, we went back to headquarters feeling exhausted, exhilarated and frozen. Stripped off my wetsuit and camped inside the hot shower for 30min. I never felt so good in my whole life before. Free soup and bagels were provided, which tasted pretty good, and after the little snack we were chauffered back to our hostel. Dinner was another round of western food at the local tavern, where we amused ourselves playing with the owner's fat cat. The temperature at night was nothing to us, considering the day we spent underground in freezer like conditions. Oh, and we slept like logs after hitting the sack. After today's adventure, i think my cold resistance just leveled up like + 100%...
03.07.2004
Reveille was a little late today, considering how tired we were after yesterday's activities, I think it was pretty amazing that I could get up at 10am. Of course the checkout time was 10am too, but we were seriously so shagged we just didn't give a damn. Darryl took his time taking a hot shower, during which he recalled that we had to check out by 10am or else its another day's charge to our accounts. That got us moving pretty fast. After clearing out of our rooms, we headed to the common kitchen for brunch, instant noodles and hot milo. There, we met this American chinese woman with her two kids. She was speaking in China-accented chinese, but she disclosed that she was actually born in Taiwan. Hmm, all chinese outside of Singapore speak funny. Anyway she was married to an American, and was touring the region with her two kids. It was quite surprising to see that her kids cannot speak a single word of chinese, because their mother was constantly nagging at them in her native tongue. Well so much for that.
Our bus from Waitomo to Rotorua came earlier then expected. We left Waitomo at 1.15pm on the coach, and proceeded to drive through extremely picturesque countryside towards our destination. Rolling plains filled with grazing cows and sheep, gentle hills covered in lush green pine and fig trees...it was in NZ too that the movie 'The Last Samurai' was shot in. Seems that NZ is earning big bucks from the movie industry. Too bad it was drizzling to fully enjoy the scenery, but the dazzling rainbows that appeared after the rain were worth it. We arrived in Rotorua, city of hot springs and geyser pools, roughly around 3.30pm. Its really cold here, about 10 degree celcius, much colder than Auckland and Waitomo. Guess its the elevation, we are roughly 900 feet above sea level. Its so cold that I finally put my 'arctic' gloves to use. It was too late to do anything else, so after checking in to our hostel, a corny looking place called Cactus Jack's, we went to find some food. Had our lunch/dinner at Burger King's, went to a supermarket for some 'retail therapy' as the locals put it, and finally I'm here updating this blog. It makes you think what I'm in NZ for. don't you? Well, more updates to come, we are probably trying white water rafting tomorrow. If that or hypothermia doesn't kill us, I will be back.
After the trip, we went back to headquarters feeling exhausted, exhilarated and frozen. Stripped off my wetsuit and camped inside the hot shower for 30min. I never felt so good in my whole life before. Free soup and bagels were provided, which tasted pretty good, and after the little snack we were chauffered back to our hostel. Dinner was another round of western food at the local tavern, where we amused ourselves playing with the owner's fat cat. The temperature at night was nothing to us, considering the day we spent underground in freezer like conditions. Oh, and we slept like logs after hitting the sack. After today's adventure, i think my cold resistance just leveled up like + 100%...
03.07.2004
Reveille was a little late today, considering how tired we were after yesterday's activities, I think it was pretty amazing that I could get up at 10am. Of course the checkout time was 10am too, but we were seriously so shagged we just didn't give a damn. Darryl took his time taking a hot shower, during which he recalled that we had to check out by 10am or else its another day's charge to our accounts. That got us moving pretty fast. After clearing out of our rooms, we headed to the common kitchen for brunch, instant noodles and hot milo. There, we met this American chinese woman with her two kids. She was speaking in China-accented chinese, but she disclosed that she was actually born in Taiwan. Hmm, all chinese outside of Singapore speak funny. Anyway she was married to an American, and was touring the region with her two kids. It was quite surprising to see that her kids cannot speak a single word of chinese, because their mother was constantly nagging at them in her native tongue. Well so much for that.
Our bus from Waitomo to Rotorua came earlier then expected. We left Waitomo at 1.15pm on the coach, and proceeded to drive through extremely picturesque countryside towards our destination. Rolling plains filled with grazing cows and sheep, gentle hills covered in lush green pine and fig trees...it was in NZ too that the movie 'The Last Samurai' was shot in. Seems that NZ is earning big bucks from the movie industry. Too bad it was drizzling to fully enjoy the scenery, but the dazzling rainbows that appeared after the rain were worth it. We arrived in Rotorua, city of hot springs and geyser pools, roughly around 3.30pm. Its really cold here, about 10 degree celcius, much colder than Auckland and Waitomo. Guess its the elevation, we are roughly 900 feet above sea level. Its so cold that I finally put my 'arctic' gloves to use. It was too late to do anything else, so after checking in to our hostel, a corny looking place called Cactus Jack's, we went to find some food. Had our lunch/dinner at Burger King's, went to a supermarket for some 'retail therapy' as the locals put it, and finally I'm here updating this blog. It makes you think what I'm in NZ for. don't you? Well, more updates to come, we are probably trying white water rafting tomorrow. If that or hypothermia doesn't kill us, I will be back.