100% Kiwi Adventure

As expected, there were some terrific events at the University, kicking off with a ride up the Skyline Gondola in Queenstown and dinner at a restaurant overlooking the city and lake. Just to get our appetites going, there was also street luging—riding down a course on the mountain on little luge carts. Awesome! Totally worth it to see a bunch of super-type-A entrepreneurs wearing helmets, giggling like little kids, and trying to ram each other.

We were welcomed to the university in traditional Maori style, with a haka.

Our next outing was even better: boarding the TSS Earnslaw, crossing Lake Wakatipu to the Walter’s Peak sheep station, and enjoying a fabulous BBQ on the shore of the lake as the sun dropped behind the mountains. The Earnslaw, one of the last passenger steamships in operation in the world, was commissioned to deliver people and goods to the remote stations (ranches) around the lake, many of which remain inaccessible by road. The station is now open for tours, meals, agricultural demonstrations, and cycling tours. I highly recommend both the boat journey and the station, if you’re in the neighborhood.

TBone and Pancho on board the Earnslaw, en route to Walter Peak.

  

The TSS Earnslaw heading out of Queenstown harbor.

Walter Peak Station on Lake Wakatipu.

The area surrounding Walter Peak.

We had another amazing experience on the Dart River, near the town of Glenorchy, where we rode in the jet boat upriver before “funyaking” back downriver. Jet boats are incredibly popular in New Zealand, where the jet boat engine was invented. They actually originated out of a practical need to transport supplies and sheep to inaccessible areas on extremely shallow rivers. Since the jet engine doesn’t use a propeller, it can function in around 4 inches of water. Now, of course, the boats serve a much less practical purpose, primarily whipping through canyons and river valleys filled with shrieking tourists, doing high-speed turns, and generally trying to scare the crap out of paying customers. Big fun. Though very cold the day we were out.

Jet boating on the Dart River. Notice how shallow the water is here.

View along the Dart River.

A side trip into a gorge along the Dart River.

Paddling through the side gorge.

The jet boat dropped us up the Dart River valley where we hopped into our funyaks—inflatable, idiot-proof, and (almost) tip-proof kayaks. We paddled back down the river, through some very mild, maybe class 2 rapids. It was a glorious day, though. Sunny and warm, with a perfect view of absolutely stunning mountains, waterfalls, and creeks. During our lunch break, we paddled up a tiny gorge, almost completely closed off from above, something you would never find on your own.
We finished off the University at the home of bungy jumping: AJ Hackett Bungy at Kawarau River. The Kawarau bridge was the first place anyone ever jumped and a number of EO folks—including TBone, Junior, and Pancho—took the plunge. When asked about the experience, all Pancho could say was “The split second my feet left the platform, all I could think of was:  WHAT HAVE I DONE!  There are no take-backs.”

Bungy jumping set-up, Kawarau Bridge.

View of the Kawarau River.

The ATL bungy boys ride the post-jump high: TBone, Junior, and Pancho.