Queenstown to Wanaka via the Kawarau Suspension Bridge

To finish off our Queenstown experience we drove to Glenorchy for a short walk around the lagoon but didn't actually see any water, perhaps a lack of rain? Somewhat overcast but still some great views along the way...
Back to town for a Fish & Prawn chowder lunch at the Bathhouse Cafe... the best chowder we had in NZ by a long chalk! Afternoon found us at the Kawarau suspension bridge getting Michael weighed

and rigged up in preparation for his first ever bungy jump. What an exhilarating experience, now he can say "been there, done that, got the t-shirt"... you actually get a t-shirt that says "I did it".

https://youtu.be/OC3fQx4Y-CQ

Then on the road again to Wanaka. Lovely B&B (Craig & Michelle), comfortable and very clean room, with a small courtyard. The drive to Wanaka wasn't anything spectacular as it was overcast with a few drops of rain. We took a walk around the lake shore to see the "Lone Tree of Wanaka Lake", a local landmark, growing out of the lake... looks a bit like a very large bonsai. Given the weather and that there was some kind of a big, agricultural fair finishing in Wanaka that afternoon the town was not showing us its best face. Finished the day by having 3 salads for dinner in the courtyard, broccoli, bean and coleslaw, washed down with a glass of you know what.

For those of you who are thinking about the bungy experience, a friend asked if you get well briefed before taking the plunge... You don't actually get much in the way of a briefing, they ask you if you want to go into the water and by how much (fingers, head or torso)... M said fingers, and they do tell you that it depends on your jump, the further out you leap the less wet you will get but if you just drop straight off the platform you are going to get a dunking. They also tell you that as you approach the water to remember to position yourself as for a dive i.e. arms extended, hands together and head tucked in... But, of course, once you start falling you forget all that and just end up planting yourself face first into the very cold water. Then, after you bounce back up a couple of times, you vaguely hear someone say "look for the pole" "look for the pole, and grab it". Being completely disoriented, it takes a while to get the message and then to start looking around for a pole which is poking up in the air from an

inflatable boat beneath you. You grab the pole and start pulling yourself in, then you have to follow instructions: " grab my hands" "let go of the pole" "reach up to your feet", until finally you just relax and let them unstrap you and take you ashore to begin your long walk back up the hill on very shaky legs. The whole thing is over very quickly, a little apprehension before you jump, a little bit of terror as you find yourself standing on the edge and then lot of adrenaline the whole way down... then the joy of realising you are alive as you bounce back out of that water! Brilliant!