Bungy jumping off the Kawarau Bridge...

Somehow, Joan talked me into to talking her into jumping off of a perfectly sound bridge attached to a bungy cord. The setting was spectacular: the Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown, New Zealand. The blue water of the Kawarau River beckoned below, and the day was bright and sunny. Not a cloud to be seen.

For some reason, people come from all over the world to jump off of this bridge. It was the original commercial bungy jumping venue (having been built specifically for that purpose).

So yeah, bungy jumping is a bit scary. It takes some serious courage (is that the right word for this? Or idiocy?) to tip forward over a 43m drop (141 feet). But the ride is rather entertaining, if not unnerving. But the few bounces you get after the initial drop are actually more fun. Probably because you now have faith that the cord might actually hold!

Anyway, here's some pics and a video for your entertainment. The image of the bridge is from Wiki Commons (I make no claim to ownership of this image!). Cheers!

Great Moments In Advertising: Part I

A great ad from a Scotch Whisky producer. Maybe I just like it because it incorporates aspects of two of the coolest places I've been to... But it works.

Fun with my pictures...

This is from a picture I took at the Santa Cruz Surf Kayak Festival on Friday (March 20, 2009).

The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (A Triathlete?)...

As if trying to "master" one sport isn't enough, there are those among us who will willingly put their bodies through the torture of racing three different sports in one race. What posses these people? Wouldn't it be better to just master one sport?

The answer comes in the form of this statement: where else are you going to see a man run a marathon in 2:35:21 (Peter Reid of Victoria, BC) AFTER swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112? Why shouldn't people see what limits they can push themselves to?

Having now done a full Ironman triathlon, I can safely say that it is NOT the hardest thing I've ever done. But it is second! The only thing I would classify as tougher would be the HooDoo 500. But that was almost 35 hours longer! So, for one-day events, Ironman takes the prize.

And now that I have done one, my mind is already saying ,"Hey, you can do that a lot faster!" Well, that's a given since my run time was hindered by walking so much of it. Heck, one guy I was ahead of coming out of the bike beat me by almost 2.5 hours. Surely I can get down there near his time... =)

What's left to do? Train for the run better. Do more brick workouts (run immediately after long rides), swim more. The time will come down... Perhaps Ironman Canada next year? We'll see...

New Zealand Top 10

Of the places I went, of course! You should check these out next time you're in Kiwiland... And these aren't necessarily in order! There were tons of great places! And the best part was sharing all the places and experiences with Joan.

I'll post pics and more stories and such after I get caught up on my homework... =)



1. Milford Sound (best seen via kayak, though the cruises are nice as well since you get to see more of the fjord!)

2. Conical Hill (at the highpoint of the Routeburn Track. This has an amazing view of the Darran Mountains, the Tasman Sea and plenty more!)

3. Mount Maunganui Beach (beautiful blue water, white sand, and temps in the low 70s. What more could you ask for from a beach?)

4. Lake Taupo (swimming in the clear water (almost as clear as Lake Tahoe!) was one of the highlights of the Ironman)

5. Lake Wakatipu (sitting on the beachfront in Queenstown eating the best fish n' chips I've ever had (from Aggy's Shack) on the first day set the standard for the rest of the trip to live up to)

6. Tongariro Crossing (we didn't get the best of weather for the first part, but the scenery was spectacular up amongst the lakes and sulphur vents near the summit)

7. Joan's aunt and uncle's farm (beautiful views and a look at a real sheep/cattle ranch)

8. Polynesian Hot Springs (sure, it's a commercial hot spring, but sitting in 42C water with a view out over Lake Rotorua was sure a great way to start the last morning of our trip to New Zealand!)

9. Shotover River (the scenery passing by as we rafted down the river were amazing. The water is clean and a nice temperature as well.)

10. Viewing deck at the top of the gondola at Queenstown (amazing views, amazing sunset, and a great place to watch paragliding, parasailing, bungy jumping, luge, and just generally take it all in).