Uñt’ayata: 29.01.2024
When we arrive in Queenstown, at a beautifully situated campsite, we first have to jump into the lake to cool off. After the last few cold days we can hardly stand it here in the evening sun. The first day here we stroll through the city, shop and plan tours. We book a bungee jump for Maren tomorrow and because nothing else suits us or is fully booked, we book a packrafting tour in Wanaka online for a few days. As an early dinner we get a burger in THE city's burger shop in the afternoon. We have to wait in line for a few minutes and an employee passes out sunscreen in the queue. We then end the evening in a bar with beer and one of my most legendary rounds of tricks, which I start with a 6-ball trick.
After breakfast, which we share with a cat today, we drive into town and check in for Maren's experience. She has to consider whether our afternoon cake breaks are in danger? After that we have to wait and Maren gets very nervous. Me too, with very sweaty hands, we get into a bus truck and drive almost 40 minutes to the place of horror. The center is in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of a gorge. Here Maren gets her harness put on and a short briefing. We take a gondola to the middle of the gorge. The team is ready here and all jumpers are processed with very quick, routine processes. Sitting on the balcony, Maren has her leg pads put on, loud music is playing and I have a crisis just walking across the glass floor. Maren is becoming more and more nervous and jittery. It feels like I wipe my hands every few seconds and examine everything that's going on. Then it's Maren's turn. While one person is jumping, she has to sit on the gyn chair and is strapped in. Then she has to get up and waddle to the plank. The guy asks Maren if she's ready and starts counting. Maren shakes herself and says: "Noo! ... Okay okay again." and then she jumps down. I see them through the glass floor and take lots of photos. Then she is pulled up again and she can't quite realize it yet. But she says she would do it again. Oh dear. Back with the gondola, we take our time, Maren processes what she has experienced and we take the next bus back to the city. There is a big reward ice cream there, also for me, and we end the evening comfortably.