Get busy living or get busy dying

Last week I did a 15,000 foot skydive over the Remarkable mountains (1/3 of the misty mountains from LoTR).  Santmyer was the only person in the history of Queenstown to say, "I haven't spent enough money,"  and naturally, jumping out of or off of stuff is the quickest way to blow cash here.  We took the trip with 20 others, but a couple from Australia and we were the only ones doing the highest altitude jump. After suiting up and learning drop positions (hang like a banana!) we met our tandem partners.  My guy, a 6'6" Russian named Sasa, has a lifetime of experience and 22,000 jumps.  Everyone straddled each other for the 15 minute spiral flight up.

 The first group jumped at 12k feet.  WOOSH, gone! At 15k I was the first to lean out, look straight down at the NZ panorama, and plummet towards it.  It takes 12 seconds to reach terminal velocity (200 kph/ 125mph), but you have 60 seconds of pure free fall followed by a 5 minute canopy fall.  Pressure built in my head, my ears started aching, cheeks started rippling in the wind, and it got hard to breathe, but holy crap it was the most exhilarating thing! I have no words to describe it.  My ears didn't pop for the whole next day, but it was worth not being able to hear :) Pictures were $180, so I took mental ones.

St. Patrick's day was also pretty extreme.  Queenstown is a ridiculous town, but St. Pat's was another level.  I have no pictures from that day either so I'll just say,  you haven't done St. Patty's right until you've done it with a group of Irish men and women.

The season is changing really quickly.  It stayed  light till 9pm when I first got here, but now the Sun disappears behind the mountains around 5:30 and it gets cold. Very cold.  I'm working hard to get in all the outdoorsy stuff and hikes on sunny days between the rainy ones.  Packing a backpack for the day and trekking out somewhere new with my big camera is one of my favorite things to do in the world.  It's so simple.  You can hike into places you would never see otherwise, and in NZ you might be trekking where no one has been in 10 years or ever before.   It's a good feeling to be out in the wilderness...

Queenstown Hill with Zo

Erik on the way to Skyline peak

Top of Tiki Trail 

Sunrise from the Lodge

I meet new people everyday especially since living in the lodge... locals, backpackers, and folks on holiday.  Everyone travels for different reasons.  New experiences, escaping old ones; to meet new people or to be alone. Whatever your reasons are...  "Get busy living or get busy dying" (Shawshank Redemption).  I think that sums up the mindset of most travelers.  See the world while you still have the chance. 

Legend of the Lake

Lake Wakatipu has a curious habit of rising and falling 12-20 cm every 27 minutes.  Maori legend credits this phenomenon to the ogre Matau who was capitally punished for abducting a local chief’s daughter.  Matau was burned alive in his sleep.  The heat of the blaze melted the snow from surrounding mountains into the deep "S" shaped hole where Matau fell during his demise.  The resilient beat of his heart could not be stopped though, which causes the eternal pulse of the lake. 

In the past week I’ve gone kayaking, hiking, boating, and 4-wheel canyon driving, but that barely scratches the surface of things to do in Queenstown.  A Reavers coworker is an NZ tourism guide (aka good friend to have) and took me kayaking on the lake.  Mountain weather changes fast, especially here with currents coming from Antarctica, so storms can sneak up on you in the open water.  A storm rolled in on us, but we got out fine.  Some confident kayakers have not been so lucky in the past.  Later we drove into Skipper’s Canyon, a filming spot for LoTR and King Kong and the most hair-raising road I've ever seen.  Kiwis are crazy, they jump off bridges and drive like maniacs!  This “road” into the gorge is a one lane dirt path leading to 

a ghost mining town and the Shotover River.  There are sheer cliffs up one side and straight down on the other.  Tour buses and trucks taking tourists to jet boat and white water rafting sites use the road constantly, and if you meet up them, they have the right of way.  This means you must reverse down the one lane road till a passing point… definitely requires skill.   Tourists get into trouble down there a lot thinking it’s just a scenic drive.  There are plenty of "slips"where not so lucky drivers have died.  There are accidents on a regular basis.  Word to the wise: buy a tour if you want to see Skipper’s Canyon, which you should because it’s AWESOME.

I was going to move out of the lodge, but now I’m glad I didn’t.  The people are awesome, the facilities are great, and the housekeeping staff finds the most ridiculous things people leave behind.  So far I’ve acquired a poker set, an orange top hat worthy of the Kentucky Derby, a bottle of NZ Pinot Noir, a hair dryer, and a camping lantern.  My Vietnamese roommate Wendy makes the delicious curries and noodle dishes. Dougy, a big Samoan, plays guitar and sings like an angel for background music in the common room.  The managers, Dean, Todd, and Kim, are hooking me up with some adventure vouchers as well.  This week I’m going river surfing and maybe to the bungy… maybe.

Erik, a friend from VT, arrived this week.  Yesterday he rented a boat.  Kayaking Wakatipu is great, but jetting across it was a whole different game.  We rode from Frankton Pier to Bob’s Cove and did some fishing.  The glacier water is so clear and so cold!  I’m doing pretty well on my goal of trying something new everyday; yesterday I drove a boat for the first time! After the boat trip, Lauren made a pot roast feast, and we hung out with a full house of roommates at the 39 Gorge house. Erik is staying till Sunday, which means he will be here for St. Patrick’s day.   This town is full of crazy Irish pubs and crazy awesome Irish people, so St. Pat's Day should be fun. 

I’m learning a lot about what people think of the US.  People generalize about every nationality, but the resounding opinion on Americans is that we are loud, obnoxious, and bossy.  Yep, I can be all of those things.  I also heard the term “sepo” or “septic tank yank” for the first time.  They are ugly slangs meaning the US is polluting the world or some bla bla bla you suck it. I won't call names, but given only 18% of Americans have passports, it doesn’t seem fair to judge based on the small percentage of us traveling or what's in the media.  I’m trying not to be so loud, obnoxious, or bossy, but that's hard since I'm always right ...Just kidding...


If you're still keeping up with me via this blog THANKS!!!! I've been slacking and leaving the camera at home.  I'll have a new one up in a few days that involves planes... and jumping out of them :) XO 

Sorry Mom, I hitchhiked...

Sunrise on Shotover St.

I’m finally settled in! I took a full time job at Captain’s.  We had a tasting for our Fall menu yesterday, which includes kobe beef tartare, tarakey risotto, lamb shanks, braised pork cheek, and apricot coconut crème brulee.  Um yeah… it was the highlight of my normally pb&j filled day.  Working in a restaurant abroad is wild.  People from all over the world come to Qtown, so the language barrier can be tough; speak slowly, annunciate, be patient.  My first night I learned in the UK you do NOT clear plates from a table till everyone is done from an uppity British man.  I’m still learning the lingo (lemonade= sprite, Kumara= sweet potato, entrée= appetizer, filet is pronounced “fill-it". Not working for tips is also a new concept.  I wish I could just get paid for hiking and taking pictures, but unfortunately there are no openings for that. 

Wonder how long this will last... 

I’ve hiked Queenstown hill (Nick and I made some patriotic stone art at the top), Tiki trail, Bob’s Cove, and on Thursday Anthony and I did Moke Lake and Lake Dispute.  Sorry Mom, I really did hitchhike, and it was awesome.  Anthony’s tutorial: when you hear a car, make eye contact and stick your thumb out! Hitching is very common around NZ, but I was really sketched out to try it.  A fifty-something y/o couple, Robin and Kevin, picked us up.  They are on holiday from Auckland, continuing their 30 year honeymoon J.  In addition to giving us a ride, they hiked with us for awhile and gave me their contact info to come stay with them when I move to Auckland in June.  Their daughter studies at U of Auckland, and they have a chemist friend who may be able to give me a job. 
First hitching experience, SCORE! The hike was about 
2 hours, of sunny hills surrounded by snowy capped mountains, sheep, cattle, flowers everywhere.


It really sucked.

Moke Lake

Today I moved into Reaver’s lodge.  Crashing at Lauren and Katie’s was fun, while adjusting and flat hunting, but finally unpacking today feels good.  At Reaver’s I’ll be working 12 hours a week (3 x 7- 11am breakfast shifts), in exchange for a room+ all bills, breakfast, wifi, access to a hot tub, pool table, free laundry, and some good hook ups for outdoor adventures that the lodge books for guests.  The staff is all young and really cool, and I’ve convinced a few guests to come visit me at Captain’s tonight! It’s hard working two jobs, waking up early and staying up late, but if I’m living the traveller life, I’m going all out.  It’s fulfilling to work hard and see it pay off

Anthony by Lake Dispute

I’ll admit I miss my family.  My cousin Phyllis had a heart attack, and all I can do is pray for her.  I haven’t talked to my brother since he deployed.  This is also the longest I’ve gone in six years without talking to Shae.  Don’t get me wrong; I love the simple lifestyle.  I might be the happiest I’ve ever been, but I could really go for some March madness and a night out with Chris right about now.  Bottom line, being here is a once in a lifetime opportunity.   The myriad people I’m meeting are opening my eyes to foreign cultures and new perspectives.  I’m also learning a lot about myself and what I’m capable of with a little effort.

Being here and sharing stories with new people is a reality slap for how lucky I have been to have good friends, supportive family, and all the opportunities I sometimes overlook.  This kind of travelling is not for the faint at heart; I didn’t shower for days because there was no hot water (I eventually caved... ice cold showers aren't so bad) and I’ve been living out of a backpack and gone a few days with only 1 meal.  Many people I’ve met have been through worse, but they are all the stronger for it. Life, every experience, is what you make it.  Attitude is everything.  Perseverance and sincerity will take you a long way if you’re open to new things.