Just one night in Rotorua but I'm not too enthusiastic about other attractions on offer. Instead, the enchantment of Lake Taupo promises further adventure. The weather has turned, the drive there is overcast and grim. Upon arrival I am informed it is too cloudy for skydiving. Dang it. Of all the sunny days we've had so far I pick the overcast one to jump out of a plane. Maybe tomorrow will be more fruitful. Grab a meal and check in to my hotel. For some reason I'm knackered. Sleep comes easy.
It's Tuesday, March 18th, and after all that sleep I'm determined to make the best of it. Early hike up Mt. Tauhara, another steep climb, much of it through lush jungle with abundant ferns, palm, yucca, and everything draped in moss. A lovely hike and not too challenging. Complete white-out at the top.
If skydiving is not feasible, why not the next best thing...Bungy Jumping! A.J. Hackett, the company running this outlet has been in the biz for decades. They have a cable swing option as well as a proper bungy jump; I elect to try both. Harnessed and clipped in to the swing, the operator releases me with little preamble or warning and off I go. It feels a bit like a rollercoaster and at times I fear smashing into the cliff face. Clearly I'm at their mercy. The bungy jump was funner and more fulfilling. Though the operator conducted the proceedings with expert expediency, ultimately I made the decision to jump which made it less abrupt. The elastic clipped into my harness pulls me back up before my blood can leave my face, producing an uncomfortable sensation as though vessels in my eyes and cheeks are about to burst. It was all over way too fast yet exhilarating none-the-less. I'd do it again.
End the day with a little hike to Huka Falls. I'm thinkin' I'd have preferred to kayak here as the water was immediately adjacent to the parking lot and the trails around there didn't seem particularly of interest. Something to consider if/when I return.
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