Last week I had the opportunity to do a Taupo Cliffhanger (swing) during my lunch break. It was a locals day where they were doing some promotional video and photography. A work colleague and I hightailed it up there during our lunch break to give it a go. We whipped home first to get some pants though as doing it in our uniform skirts might have been a bit embarrassing.
When we turned up a Kiwi Experience bus had already arrived with a mob of backpackers so it took us a bit longer than we had bargained for. After signing our disclaimer forms and being weighed we lined up for a tandem swing. The first guy I had seen doing the swing did it upside down which really freaked me out until I realised that this was his preferred way of doing it! Not me thank you very much.
Basically the cliffhanger is where you are put into a harness which is suspended off a pole which is then moved out off the platform where you are suspended over a drop into the river. Now it is a HUGE drop to the river below. After the obligatory countdown the cord is pulled and you plummet downwards until you then swing upwards (pendulum style). Woo hoooooooo! It was incredible. I am very surprised my work mate didn’t lose her hearing.
Anyway, we didn’t bother sticking around to buy any photos or get the video but here is a link to the Taupo Cliffhanger website. Very awesome lunchtime activity 🙂
http://www.taupobungy.co.nz/activities/cliff-hanger
Author: Carleen Dekarski
New Zealand update
Well so far it is now into my 8th week in the new job. Slightly (and I mean slightly) feeling a bit more confident but then this goes out the window when an obscure flight routing walks in the door. Needless to say I can quite confidently say that this is the HARDEST JOB I have EVER had! Purely down to time management, learning new systems, trying to manage on a pay cut of significant value and settle in to a new place of abode.
So how has it been moving back to NZ after 13+ years away? Freaking hard! Love being nearer to my family and friends but then we moved to Taupo so this has made it a bit more difficult to catch up with everyone.
Lifestyle
The lifestyle in Taupo is what we expected, outdoor orientated. People who live in Taupo want to be here either because they were born and raised here or because they moved here specifically for the lifestyle. There seems to be a good mix of work and lifestyle although I have yet to fully accomplish this balance. NZ in general is incredibly fortunate to have access to amazing landscapes and to be so uncrowded. We can be on a beach and run into very few people in a day.
Work
Not so hot on this scale. Your biggest corporate work points are Auckland or Wellington and choosing these locations would defeat the purpose of us returning to NZ. So you scale down to a smaller town which means less jobs to choose or those jobs on offer are not really what you are after. In short, you take what you can get and hope it pays enough to cover your monthly expenses.
Expenses
I clearly remember now why we left NZ in the first place in order to get ahead in life. A living wage is not really on offer for many roles and then coupled with costly power and phone bills we have been a bit shocked. For the internet and phone alone we are looking at $110 per month. Considering I paid 40 pound a month for all you could get internet and mobile phone the NZ pricing has been a huge bummer. This $110 also only gets you 20gig a month as well. No wonder a lot of New Zealanders don’t see the internet as an essential. I find this very disappointing. However if you have a choice between paying your rent or getting connected then of course the choice is obvious for a family. A lot of it comes down to competition (lack of), infrastructure costs being high for organisations and a limited population to divide the cost amongst.
Food
I clearly remember NZ coffee as being rather disappointing when we first left. I am very pleased to say that this is no longer the case. A fine cup of brew is nearly always available. Fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful and generally of lovely quality. I adore the fresh eggs, they taste and look magnificent. There is great quality food to be found if you look. The only thing I am missing is my French range of cheeses but even now the NZ Govt has lifted the ban on unpasteurized cheese and we should see more coming into the country. Hooray!
I can’t deny it has been hard work coming back and it still continues to be hard work at the moment settling. The important thing is to stay focused and keep an eye on the big picture. We are here to be nearer family and to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle on offer here. These are so much more important at the end of the day than a soul eating career or more stuff that I just don’t need. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, having to get rid of everything to move country is scary but also very freeing. Clear out the clutter and start with nothing and you realise what is important. Having said that though, a proper bed would be good at some point 🙂
Labour weekend in Taupo
Three days off. Glorious! Say it again, GLLLOORRRIOUSSSS
The weather has been perfect and with three days off but only a little left in the weekly budget it was time to get creative. This weekend we managed a day of bouldering at Kinloch, climbing Mount Tauhara and a bit of a relax on the “beach”. I say “beach” as I normally associate this with salt water however as you may not yet know Lake Taupo is fresh water.
I find it slightly strange lying next to Lake Taupo looking like I’m on a beach, sounding like its a beach, complete with umbrellas, boats, jet skis, skiers, snorkelers etc but no salty smell, sea gulls or that crusty feeling your skin has after being in or near salt water. Am I complaining? No, it just feels very odd. I’m definitely a Ngapuhi girl who loves the sea and enjoys the bountiful kai moana (seafood) that comes from it. I love the lake but the sea is where my heart lies.
Anyway, I digress. Kinloch for bouldering or rock climbing = awesome. Only 4 others there this weekend which was surprising and the bouldering had many easy to advanced problems. Really enjoyed being in the bush with the lake just a mere 15 metres or so away. It’s well worth a look for a day out that costs next to nothing (besides petrol to get there). We took the burner and food to cook up on the spot so that saved the budget a bit.
Mount Tauhara was our Sunday afternoon adventure. Phew! 1.5 hours of uphill slog followed by 1 hour of downhill slog. Coming down was definitely hard on the knees and if you are tired you really need to ensure there is enough juice left to concentrate on the downhill. To get to the start of the walk head out of Taupo on State Highway 5 towards Napier, go through the new roundabout and turn in about 3 k’s off at Mountain Road on your left hand side. The views are spectacular and well worth the hard slog. Doing the first part over the farmland is not so exciting but once up into the bush there are some great sections including what I call the “thigh trimmer”. Basically it is a tiny gully cut through the earth which towers over your head. The gully is so tight that your thighs make contact with the wall (OK so its just my thighs, whatever!) When you hit a cascading stream (great for a quick splash on the face) you are about halfway to the top.
Then Sunday night some old friends were passing through on their way home to Palmerston North and Wellington. So awesome to see them! This is why Taupo is such a great spot. It’s the gateway to the North and South. I will channel the character of Gandalf and declare, “You shall not pass” until you stop for coffee with Carleen and Steve. Thankfully they did!
Today being the last day of the Labour Weekend holiday we just spent it lounging on the beach, having an ice cream and generally relaxing before the working week begins. I hope you all had a great weekend as well.
Tongiriro yet again
While there is still snow on it, you have to go! The weather was stunning and it was not a hard decision to make to get moving out to the mountain for the day.
We were set with the coffee, noodles to cook up for lunch on the mountain, plenty of water but alas no sunscreen. Oops. Very silly oversight. I had forgotten how unforgiving the sun is here. You burn in minutes which, after 3 years in the UK and never getting burnt, I wasn’t ready for it. Ouch!
There were plenty of cars in the Maungatepopo Hut carpark but not a soul in sight. The council are doing work out here at the moment, probably getting ready for the summer crowds, so the toilets were not in action. Not to worry, time to use my SheWee. It’s the first time I have used it properly in the bush without the cover of a portaloo. I can tell its been a long time since I practiced with it as I promptly managed to get most of it in the device but a portion of it running down my leg. I clearly need more practice peeing standing up!
We just walked up to Soda Springs, not the whole crossing. We left it too late in the day really to do the crossing or to climb Ngauruhoe. I did notice on Ngauruhoe ash deposits on the snow. Rather cool but also a bit daunting considering the valley you walk through is prime for lava flows and lahars should an eruption occur.
Anyway, here are some pictures from the day.
Whakamoenga Point, Taupo
Today’s latest Taupo tour took as out along Acacia Bay Road until you get right to the end where it turns into a private road.
We took the point walk which has gorgeous and secluded views of Lake Taupo. It only takes about an hour (if that). There is plenty of birdlife including the wonderful Tui as they feed on the nectar of the Kowhai flowers. The Tui song is wonderful to hear.
We even found a rock carving although I believe this may be a recent art commission? We then drove around to Kinloch to have a quick lunch and coffee. First time since returning and we finally dug the burner out!
It’s been awhile
How time has flown. We have finally made it to Taupo on a wing and a prayer. There was a mad dash down the line with, yet again, nothing but our bags of clothes, a borrowed car and my faithful IPhone with 3G to get ringing around those rental agencies. We had a bit of a hiccup with housing hence why the last minute dash. I was due to start work on Monday but as I have now discovered in NZ things take a little bit longer than anticipated. So it was a mad dash to Taupo ringing real estate agents on the way trying to book in viewings. By the time we got to Taupo though we had secured a place to reside. Hallelujah!
So now 3 weeks in we have the internet connected and a phone number (but no physical phone!) so that’s next on the list to purchase. No point having a phone number without something for people to ring you on! Not that I know what the phone number is as I still don’t have any mail advising me of this yet?
I have been in and out of Taupo with training for my new job so this is the first week where I have actually benefited from living here so far. That is, I have walked home from work 3 nights this week and walked into work today. This may sound rather pathetic but by the end of the day as a newie in this job you are rather catatonic and the thought of doing anything such as figuring out how to get home is not high on my list of capabilities. Steve has been incredible and when I get home dinner is cooked, coffee is on and the world is good again.
Also, the first day so far of not wanting to crawl under a rock and just vegetate. Seriously, changing careers is freaking hard work.
My birthday was last week. Thanks to everyone for your texts and FB messages. I really appreciated all the love! It was awesome to see my parents that weekend as well. They brought a bunch of stuff in a convoy down to Taupo for us which was fab. Mostly I just enjoyed seeing and spending time with them both as well as getting to spend some more time with K & R in Auckland. Thanks again guys for a good night in. We really enjoy our time with you both.
Anyway, I have some homework to do. I’m taking a product morning at the next team meeting so I must do some research on all things “LA”. Until next time. Cheerio pip pip.
Silence is golden?
It has been 3 weeks of mayhem here in the countryside of Maungaturoto. My brother and his two boys (4 & 2) were visiting for great grandad’s 80th and an extended holiday. They returned home to Australia yesterday. Let me tell you it was rather crowded especially when it rains so often and they can’t go outside, but boy did we have fun. The house is very quiet now and has somewhat been returned to its previous state of tidiness but I do miss the little tykes.
During their stay we
-went to the beach to pick pipis,
– went fishing and caught a Kahawai
– went to the park,
– had fun at Chipmunks,
– shopping trips,
– fed the chooks and collected eggs,
– ran around the rugby field,
– watched the lambs,
– made the cat and dog freak out,
– visited the grandparents,
– went to McDonalds (on more than one occasion),
– helped Grandad Sears work on the car and much more.
Happy 80th
Recently my grandfather celebrated his 80th birthday. We had a gathering of people at a house that we hired for the weekend. This way people could come and go as they pleased throughout the day. This also gave granddad a chance to have a rest and chat to differing people as they passed through.
There are many things that I can attribute to my granddad as having inspired and influenced me during my life. To me he is one of the most influential male mentors in my life and I see him as a strong man with an incredible work ethic, intelligence, humor, generosity and wisdom.
Here are some pictures from the day.
Waipu Caves, Northland
Took a day trip to Waipu Cave. There is a walk from the caves through the bush out to another road. The track was quite well signposted but having signs giving the distance left to go might be of benefit. Here are some shots from the day.
Taupo road trip
Steve recently took part in another half marathon in Taupo. We were very fortunate to get amazing weather over the weekend and a fabulous family to stay with in Kinloch just out of Taupo. Incredible views from their home, in the countryside, good conversation and great kids to boot.
I love Taupo. I mean what doesn’t it have going for it? A lake, mountain views, ski fields within an hour or so of travel, geothermal Rotorua only an hour away, should I go on?
Besides getting hit by another driver (while I was parked in a paddock I might add) it was a great weekend away with a good run result for Steve as well.
On the way home we went via the National Park as we just love this area. It was the first time I have also been able to see Mt Taranaki in full from this area as well. That’s how clear the day was!
