If Everyone's Jumping off a Bridge Would You Do It Too?

Day 3- Feb 2^nd

When I was younger and I got the not falling into peer pressure talk people would say “If everyone was jumping off a cliff would you follow them”  Well today I would be able to answer yes to that question. 

 We went to a place called AJ Hackett.  This was the very first bungy jump place in the entire world!

Today I bungy jumped off a cliff 43 meters or over 100 feet high.  I watched about half the girls in my group go before me.  I was super nervous but I thought if they can do it I can too.  Some of the girls were a bit more graceful than others but I knew it was possible, until I got up to the top of the bridge.  That was the scariest moment of my life.  I have never been more nervous or petrified EVER.  It was so high up and I had both my feet tied together to a rope.  Once they made sure the rope was secure around my ankles I had to inch/scoot towards the plank overlooking a blue river far, far below. 

I didn’t look down, I smiled as best I could for a camera, I spread my arms out, I listened to the man behind me count 3,2,1 and with huge butterflies in my stomach I let myself slowly tip over the edge.  Going down head first I felt the most amazing feeling of free following through the air for a few seconds.  It felt like an eternity that I was falling, I could barely breath let alone scream.  At the beginning of my fall I was still scared but then I started to relax and enjoy the experience.  I cannot give the whole experience justice with my words.  But it was phenomenal, extraordinary, unlike anything else I have ever done in my life.  And I am so glad that I did it!!!

 One disclaimer on my outfit ha.  I was wearing a tshirt over my swim suit.  When I got there I wasn't sure if was going to be able to get dunked when I jumped off, and I had heard that when you get dunked sometimes the water rips your shirt off.  I didn't want to lose my shirt so I decided to just wear my swimsuit top.  But I didn't realize till that moment that I had a purple top and red shorts on haha.

Here is the movie of my actual jump!!!! My camera women got a little distracted in the end but it works!!!

I also have to brag that this was the first group of Elementary Education Major Study Abroad Girls where all 16 of us went bungy jumping!  We are very proud of ourselves J

Day 4- Feb 3^rd

Today we traveled up a new mountain on a gondola to get to the luging place.  Up top we had a beautiful view of all of Queenstown. 

I have expected this luging to be like the alpine slide and I wasn’t sure I was so excited for it.  But it turned out it was WAY better than the alpine slide.  This luge thing went way faster and the tracks were bigger so you had a lot more room to steer your little car.  Our friend James was a crazy driver and we all did our best to keep up with him!

Day 5- Feb 4^th

I have found the most beautiful place on earth and it’s called Milford Sound.  Today we took a large boat ride through a fjord (which means that the area/mountains have been cut by a glacier).  

The mountains where enormous and there were beautiful waterfalls cascading down.  I have decided that my favorite thing to look at are waterfalls.  

The clouds were low enough that some of them cut across the mountains, I couldn’t stop taking pictures.  We also saw two baby seals and 3 dolphins right out in the water we were traveling through.

After the boat ride we got to walk through the underwater observatory they have set up so we could see the underwater life that lived here.

When we got to our bus to head home the weather started to rain hard.  We were so lucky that our boat ride had clear weather and now we were able to head back when the weather started to get bad.  Little did I know that the pounding rain was going to bring me one of the most beautiful site I have ever seen in my life.  On the ride home I looked up at the mountains that we were driving through and I saw hundreds and hundreds of waterfalls rushing off the mountains that were not there when we first drove in.  The waterfalls were over taking all the mountains sides, it was an astounding site.  

I will never forget the beauty that I saw that day!

Day 6 – Feb. 5^th

I have to make one disclaimer before I put up any more pictures.  Before coming on this trip to Queenstown my directed strongly encouraged each of the girls to only bring 1 backpack on this 10 day trip to the south island… one backpack to fit all our clothes and bathroom/makeup stuff.  At first I was horrified.  How was I going to pack 10 or even 7 days of clothes into one backpack.  It was hard enough to pack enough in two suit cases to New Zealand let alone a little backpack.  Once I got over the shock of what I was going to have to do, I ended up surprising myself.  For once in my life I didn’t over pack for a trip.  I fit as many clothes as I could into this one backpack for my trip.  But if you start seeing the same shirts, shorts, and jacket in all my pictures it’s not because I did the south island trip in just 2 days.  It’s because I couldn’t bring much, so I had to do quite a few outfit repeats.  One thing is for sure though, when I get back to Auckland I won’t be complaining that I don’t have enough to wear because now I really know what it means to not have enough clothes to wear.

Today was one of my most favorite days of the entire trip.  There was no huge cliff jumping experience or unique natural manifestation, but it was an enjoyable day.  We got up early and headed to a little bike shop right when it opened.  

We took bikes and headed down a trail that took us 2 hours through secluded beaches that we stopped at, scenic coast side trails, intense mountainous/rocky forests, and to this private golf course.  We ate our lunches that we had packed right on the coast.  

On the way back we stopped at a secluded dock and rope swing spot.  I took a dip in the clear but freezing water, while other girls laid out and swung on the swing.  After our day’s journey we had been riding our bikes for over 4 hours and my body started to get a little sore but it was so worth it.  It was the perfect way to view the most beautiful parts of Queenstown. 

Friday was also one of my friend Nicole’s 21^st birthday.  There was no way we could go to bed early the night of such an exciting event.  We started the evening off with a famous Ferg Burger.  These burgers are the biggest burgers I have ever seen.   They are not only packed with toppings and sauces but each burger I would say has at least ½ a pound of meat.  I pride myself on being a big eater but splitting one of these monsters with Heidi was just perfect for dinner.

If I ever go back to Queenstown this is the first thing I want to eat!  The burgers were large but so heavenly. 

After dinner we decided to join on out the bumping music that was playing every night below our bunk rooms.  We had to show our ID to get into this “pub like club” and we started dancing!  We stuck out like a sore thumb at this place ha.  We were all in our modest clothes, showing off our sweet BYU dance party moves.  The night was the perfect 21 year old celebration!

Over all we loved our stay in Queenstown!!!