Whoosh! This is crazy!
Sarah says:
Who thinks rafting over a 21′ waterfall is the craziest thing we would possibly get ourselves into down here? Who amongst this little group of friends knows that I’m the biggest ninny there is and can’t believe I got into the boat? Well, it’s adventure city, folks, for David and Sarah and we just can’t seem to get enough!
The rafting just wasn’t enough for one day so following that we rented mountain bikes and had an absolute blast! I lie, really. The pictures we have posted make us look really soft but we couldn’t get the really impressive stuff because, basically, it was kicking our arses. We are extremely fit people, no doubt, but the mountain nearly had us for lunch. 
We did get a lovely vista from it, though, but don’t think we’ll be taking up mountain biking back in good old Washington.
Next: we are on to caving in Waitomo. We did 3 absails down black holes to about 60 meters (about 180 ft) below ground surface - the first one was super long and dark and the 2nd two were long and dark and through waterfalls. At the bottom we walked and swam through caves! We were feeling pretty cool about ourselves at that point So cool that in our next town, Taupo (where we are now) we tried rock wall climbing. I like the coming down better than the going up but David is an absolute reckless monkey and pretty much had the whole wall in the palm of his hand.
The premier adventure was today, though, by far. Check this out:
That’s me - coming down from 12,000 feet in the air! I can’t even begin to say how cool it was to fall out of a plane and see the earth below. we happened to be above one of the most beautiful turquoise lakes I’ve ever seen in my life. We did freefall for about 45 seconds and then the parachute went up and it took about another 5 minutes to land. I really can’t believe I did it. I was pretty terrified during the flight up but I had an excellent guide and David as also there and, honestly, when I was shuffled to the door of the plane and my feet were dangling out over the edge - I really was not scared anymore. It’s just the most amazing thing you can do and I’m so, so, so glad to have done it. Thanks David for convincing me and booking it for me when I wasn’t in the room to hear you doing it. Awesome day, guys.
Next we’re heading back to the beaches of Gisborne. Talk to you then!
Don’t forget to check out our first gallery and our second gallery and all our extreme sports mad stuff.
January 23rd, 2005 at 7:10 pm
Good Onion!
January 23rd, 2005 at 9:21 pm
Would you be any more interested in mountain biking if I told you that at Snoqualmie Pass in summer you can take your bike up the ski lift? Although on balance the best mountain biking I ever did was in the Napa Valley and seemed to involve frequent stops at wineries. Sounds like NZ is great fun!
PS. I now have my own blog because I didn’t immediately understand that everyone could simply be Anonymous.
January 24th, 2005 at 12:30 am
Hi there my two wonderful and brave children I am so glad that we did not know about all of this before you went ahead with it, other wise there would have been a few sleepless nights, you certainly look as if you enjoyed it,by the time you arrive back in Seattle Nancy and I will be a couple of grey haired old ladies only joking.Well done. Take care both of you lots of luv and hugs from us. xxxxxxx
January 25th, 2005 at 7:03 am
I almost hyperventilated from claustrophobia just from LOOKING at the picture of you guys in the water underneath a cave!! Honestly though I am so thrilled for you both. Sarah, you’re having the experiences I always dreamed you’d have from the time you were little. A mom really can’t ask for much more than that. I’m so proud of you and I love you very much. (That guy you’re with isn’t half bad either!). Oh and Jackie…. what’s this silliness about gray hair??? I know they make hair color over in the UK as well as they do here, that’s what it’s there for! Hmmmm now maybe we should ask our children to buy it for us though…..
Love and hugs, you two!
January 26th, 2005 at 2:36 am
this coment is for you two to take on board what Nancy said about hair colouring mine is Loreal so maybe you had better find out what Nancy wants? have a good time luv from me xxx