Cycle Touring on the South Island of New Zealand

PREVIOUS PAGE: Milford Sound to Queenstown

Monday, January 3rd, 2005 - Queenstown

Distance: ummmm, 0.0km, zip, zilch, nada
Average speed: n/a
Time in saddle: n/a
Max speed n/a
Departure n/a
Arrival n/a

Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world. Skydiving, hangliding, parasailing, paragliding, jetboating, river rafting, bungee jumping, stunt plane flights… you name it, you can do it in Queenstown.

The plan for the day, pre-arranged for us by the hostel staff, was for Jeff to go skydiving. Not me. No way, no how. But, although we made the 35k trek to the take-off site, the skydiving company decided to call off all jumps due to the low cloud ceiling.

Waiting to skydive

You're not getting me into that thing!

Back at the hostel, we consulted once again with the staff. They recommended we try tandem hang gliding. And somehow I got roped into doing it as well. Eeeek!

The outfit we signed up with, Skytrek, launches off the Remarkables Range, a jagged line of peaks towering over Queenstown. We climbed 600 meters (almost 2000 feet) up a gravel road clinging to the mountain side. (Have I mentioned I'm afraid of heights???)

The road to our launch point

We suited up in a jumpsuit, helmet, gloves, and a harness. Chicken little that I am, I made them explain all the safety straps, harnesses, etc.

Jeff - harnessed up and ready to fly.

Not winning any fashion awards here.

Perched on the edge of the steeeep slope…. Step, step, RUN, RUN, RUN and we were in the air! The experience was surreal. I FELT like I should be falling, yet I wasn't.

Look Ma, I'm flying!

Our flights each took 5-10 minutes while we slowly descended to the valley floor. I had to buy the photos of our flight - how else could I prove to my disbelieving friends that I'd actually jumped off a cliff??

Jeff flying his hang glider.

Wow, this is FUN!

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