Going Underground

Having not had a drink for 2 weeks now it was obviously critical that we found a new drug to course through our veins during our time in New Zealand and we have opted for the somewhat passe Adrenaline, or 'Ad' as it's referred to by hardened users.

Our first fix came courtesy of the Waitomo caves, or to be more specific Ruakuri cave. Following a short briefing we abseiled approximately 30 metres into the cave - attempting Rambo stylee jumps but failing miserably - and then started touring through the underground system. I should mention at this point that the group consisted of Matt and myself (slightly over excited and whooping every now and again) and the most miserable middle-aged Scottish couple who seemed determined to have an awful time from the outset. Of course this only heightened our enjoyment of the whole day and we threw in a few extra whoops just to overstate our case. Next we were attached to a flying fox and sent down in the pitch black to find some inner tubes waiting for us. We then positioned ourselves inside said tubes and jumped into the incredibly cold subterranean river that flow through Ruakuri cave - exciting, invigorating, daring or as Jimmy Krankie's miserable sister put it "just horrible"! We then floated through a long, glow-worm-covered passage which was spectacular and as we all turned off our headlamps we were able to lie back in our tubes, legs under each others arms to form a train, and float along under the hundreds and hundreds of glow worms that lit the ceiling above us. Getting out of our tubes we walked and swam the rest of the way, jumped of a small waterfall and then clambered our way back up through the cave and into daylight. A great day was had by all, sort of.

We were staying at a very lovely, basic and cheap campsite near to the caves which was run by an eccentric old fellow called Bill. Filling us in on the history of the area in very, very precise detail, he also informed us that the Queen got her dairy cows from a farmer just down the road. "Wow" we said and then Bill wrote down the name of the farm and the farmer on a scrap of paper so that I could write to Liz and tell her that I knew where she got her dairy cows from and that I'd been there. I've yet to pen that fascinating letter but I was assured that "She's very good at getting back to you", which amused me, thinking of all the trite that must turn up in her mail bag each morning.

Following our exertions in the cave we decided to take it easy for a couple of days and so we headed up to the Bay of Islands on the far north of the North Island. Here we boarded a sailing trip and cruised our way around the islands, snorkeled off a bay that we stopped at and looked out for dolphins as we cruised back after lunch. We were very lucky to find a pod of about 15 bottle nose, who we followed and who swam right around our boat. Unfortunately we couldn't get in and swim with them due to the harsh regulations - it could scare their young, make them sick and kill them or something - but they were great to watch nevertheless. By the time we docked though we were starting to get the jitters from withdrawal and so it was time to head off in search of another dealer and we heard that there was a great one in Taupo.

Being somewhat of an Aviaphobe (that's someone who has a fear of flying to the less etymologically gifted of you) I can think of nothing worse than getting into a small rickety plane, flying up to 12'000 feet, opening the door and then hurling myself out. So guess what we did yesterday? Indeed, it was the scariest thing but as my favourite self-help book states, "Feel the Fear and do it Anyway" - as an aside, it's also a favourite of Geri Haliwell's - I most certainly felt it, smelt it and dealt it all the way up through the clouds and until my legs were dangling out the door of the plane and I could see land below. I turned and smiled for the camera, turned and gave Matt a loving glance - only fair as it could have been my last - and then whoosh, my instructor had thrown us out and we were upside down and falling towards earth. It was THE MOST AMAZING experience and as we turned and floated, arms stretched out for about 40 seconds without a parachute it felt like we were gliding, or dare I say it, flying through the sky rather than falling. The views, the rush, the adrenaline were like nothing else and then as the parachute opened and we straightened up I realized that I was going to live and be able to recant a truly, utterly amazing experience. Matt had watched me fall from the plane and then he followed, I landed first and then watched as he came down and landed safely - such relief. We both loved it, as exciting as 4 minutes can ever get and certainly a big enough fix to last us our journey to the South Island where we are heading now, a place that we are told is even more beautiful than the North Island. Can't wait.