The One with the Tea Pot, and the Moment of Madness

The next day we were off to Queenstown - home of everything adrenalin based! We stopped for photos at Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea on the way... it was a stunning day.

As we neared the town of Wanaka, we were given the opportunity to go to Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World - home of.... that's right ... ILLUSIONS! Well, needless to say, we didn't have to be invited to go twice, and with our own resident illusionist on board, headed off for a magic fuelled time!

First we attempted the maze. When a group of people try and negotiate through something like this it becomes clear who the leaders, and logical people are, and those who would much rather just follow where they are led... I fell into the latter category, and H and Ian stood on the bridges, surveying the land, working out routes and leading us to the 4 corners with military precision. Sadly, getting out took twice as long and led us about 3 million times through the maze, but (unlike some people!) we didn't cheat and take the emergency exits, we ploughed on and made it out victoriously.

Next, we head to the illusion rooms inside. This included a room full of faces that follow you around. The Ames Illusion Room, which make some of us look Giant and others like Hobbits, and a room which was tilted at a 45 degree angle so water runs up hill. A great opportunity for Dermot to prove his illusionist power, and make a billiard ball run up a slanting table using the pure strength of his mind. I'll try and get the video clip on here at some point, but we all know how un-technical I am so don't hold your breath! It was all pointless silliness, but hey, it made me laugh!

From here, we ploughed straight on to Queenstown, stopping first at Kawarau Bridge, the AJ Hackett Bungy site, and the first commercial bungy in the world. Considering I have always said I wouldn't bungy, this next part may come as a bit of a surprise...

Not wanting to be a wuss, and considering it was a lovely hot day and you were jumping over water, I paid and went and joined the queue... We watched person after person silently jump off the ledge and boing around, a bit like lemmings to be honest... what can be scary about that!

Once I was harnessed up and was going to be the next person to jump, the fear hit, however, and I started to get a bit tearful, but was reminded, in no uncertain terms, by the guy tying my feet together with glorified knicker elastic, that I was on holiday and that I wanted to do this... which soon shut me up!

They play pumping music to get you pysched...nothing like a bit of "Feel the Pressure" by Prodigy to make you want to jump... I shuffled like a penguin to the edge of the bridge, pulled a silly face for the camera, lent forward and jumped.

Fell might be more appropriate - the video is hilarious as my arms windmill uncontrollably just as I'm tipping over the edge, as though I've changed my mind, but it was way too late for that. I fall screaming, and screaming, my arms graze the water and I ping back up. To be honest I know I saw the bridge on the way back up, but I don't remember much more of the view so I may have had my eyes shut!

Before I knew it I was grabbing the pole and being pulled into the boat, my legs were SOO wobbly but I was BUZZING - it was amazing, and I would certainly do it again. We watched the others - Fiona... I still love your jump the best!, H - so graceful as ever, Ian - spinning round as he comes back down, and Frenchy... Somersaulting off, and taking his wet t-shirt off, mid bounce and wringing it out over his head... Show off!

Then back on the bus - which nearly flew to Queenstown with the adrenalin from all of us. That night we had an awesome night in Altitude the bar below our hostel. The Stray Bus showed everyone else how to party.

As if that wasn't enough, the next day we went Jet Boating - on the Shotover Jet. Fiona, Helen and I whizzed up and down the river on as little as 10cm of water. The driver narrowly missed the canyon walls and span us round in 360 degree turns. A real laugh!

Back at base, the others were going to ride the Luge, but trying to save a bit of money, I went up in the gondola and drunk in the view. At first it was drizzly... cue lots of photos, and then the sun came out and completely changed the view... cue a lot more. I've seen the view in guidebooks, and posters but nothing could prepare me for how spectacular the view actually was... I could have stayed up there all night.

But there was more partying to be done, as the group would go their seperate ways tomorrow, with Ian and Dermot heading on and the rest of us staying in Queenstown. We headed to Fergburger... (yummy burgers - Ferg loves you!) and then to World Bar for the famous teapot cocktails.

I have to admit I was a bit dense when it came to the teapots. I didn't know why everyone wanted to go and get a teapot. How did they intend to carry a ceramic teapot in their rucksack... then it got explained to me. Cocktails... served in a china tea pot. You can drink them witha straw in the spout, or shot by shot!

Needless to say, more scope for daft photos... especially as one of the cocktails was called... you guessed it... Illusion.


Guys... I had the best fun with you all, I don't think I will ever be able to think of South Island without also thinking of you. Love you guys! Keep in touch!