Rhod and Anna's World Adventure

Sometimes things can get a little stale. It's important to keep things fresh and occasionally, if required, spice them up a little bit. We've been travelling for 3 months and we thought it was about time for a little spice.

I suggested to Anna that perhaps we should indulge in a bit of swinging. She wasn't as keen as me but luckily there is the option to swing alone and take a friend as a spectator. They do, of course, have the option to join in at anytime if they like the look of what is going on and want a piece of the action.

So with a bus load of people, a very friendly group of American students, and a bowl for the keys we are off to Skippers Canyon to put the GEERRR! in to Swinger!

Let me quote from the brochure "Either jump or be released from our purpose built, cliff mounted platform 109m/360ft above the spectacular Shotover River. You'll have a pure freefall of 60m/200ft before the swing lines take up the tension and carry you in to a massive arc of 200m at 150kph"

That's right I've paid good money to hurl myself in to a canyon attached to some string. It was so good I even paid for a second go. The first picture is of my first jump/fall. It was a backwards jump in a John Travolta style (hence the arm). For this I just had to lean backwards from the platform and let gravity do its bit. All on my own terms. The second picture is my second jump known as 'Gimp boy goes to Hollywood.' For this I was suspended upside down over the canyon and released by the jumpmaster whenever he felt inclined. He counted me down from five but let me go somewhere near 3 and a half which I was kind of expecting but it still came as a shock.
Last time I was in Queenstown I did some bungy jumps. The canyon swing didn't exist back then. In my opinion this is better than a bungy.

I have to say it was a great pleasure to swing with the friendly American students. Just the fact that you can find so many Americans with a passport is amazing to me! Bravest of the day award has to go to one of the American girls who was thrifty enough to swing topless in order to get it half price. Particularly brave considering the temperature in Queenstown at this time of year. Apparently she won't be showing the pictures to her mum. Probably best!

There's probably only one thing left for me to do in New Zealand now........

http://www.canyonswing.co.nz if anyone wants more information.