Jump!

So, this post is a little delayed. I went to the south island two weeks ago, but didn't include the most exciting pictures! But, I finally have them, so now you can exclaim over how brave you think I am. :) 

The scary tiny bridge that swung with the wind. I was clinging for my life and shuffling my way to the platform. 

Nevis Arc Swing= Highest swing in the world! (Buff lady strapping us in)

Me and Anna dangling by the ledge. The canyon is 160 meters deep, which, according to Google is 524 feet!
They were waiting for some machine to get into place, so we just had to dangle in midair. They kept telling me to put both my hands out, but I couldn't. But, I did manage to wave one hand out for a couple of seconds!

Me and Anna are pumped on the way back up. I wanted to do it again! The adrenaline rush was incredible! There was a 300 meter arc that we swung across the canyon and it was awesome!



Now for the Bungy Jump! This was much more scarier than the Nevis Swing! We jumped off the bridge where bungy jumping was invented!

I did a tandem jump with my friend Janet. There was no way I could have chosen to jump without someone else! That's why bungy jumping was scarier for me because you had to choose to jump. I would have wanted someone to just let go of me or push me! But, they aren't allowed to do that. 

I didn't know what pose to do in my frightened state of mind. 

The jump from the platform's perspective. 

The old man on the right told us to look at the rainbow that just appeared in the sky. He told us to jump to the rainbow. That was the last thing I remember before we snapped back up. Literally, I blanked out for a couple of seconds! 

As you can see, I jumped feet first. Which is bad! haha! Janet jumped head first, which is what you're supposed to do. But I can't even remember thinking, so my body just did what it wanted to. 

The beautiful greenery. 

Butt shot.

They pulled us down and unhooked us from a raft in the river. I told the men I loved them from saving me from the bungy jump. They were taken aback because apparently they don't get that everyday.

So I did both these things in one day. By the end, I was so tired from the adrenaline rushes, that I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow. 

Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World

The Auckland Museum. Me and Janet tried to look as fearsome as he did, but I can't stick my tongue out that far. 

 The next pictures are from our trip to the South Island of New Zealand. We went to Queenstown first, which is a little town by a beautiful lake. It is the adventure capital of New Zealand and we got hooked on adrenaline while staying there. I went bungee jumping, swung on the world's highest swing, and went on a shot-over jet. It was pretty amazing! It also has a lot of places that the Lord of the Rings was filmed in. So the landscapes are breathtaking.

After Queenstown, we went to Christchurch- a quaint british town. 

  Crystal clear lake amidst the pine trees.

By a field of sheep, which is the most common sight in Q-town.

Anna and I being Gollum. 

Mine and Janet's engagement pic ;)

Right before I fell down on the path in the forest of Arrowtown.

Stuffing our faces at Ferg Burger. This is seriously the most delicious hamburger I've tasted in the whole entire world!

In fjordland- Milford Sound. This is where they shot scenes of Jurassic Park and Avatar. 

Waterfalls galore!

Anna makes me laugh.

Janet and me.

Peaceful sunset at Queenstown.

We loved sitting on the wall by the lake.

Our Gangsta' hats that we got for free after riding on the World's Largest Swing. (More pics of bungy jump and swing later on)

Riding Horses on the Lord of the Rings Official Tour!

My horse Randall.

Resting in the tree covered park in Christchurch.

Being scared at our driver's driving. He is notorious for driving close to mountains and cliffs. 

The 2 hour sandcastle project, complete with a seashell bridge.

Sand Art- my new calling in life. 

Live crab and live fisherman

Right and Center= Us drawing in the sand.
Left= Asians taking pictures of us. This happened very frequently. 

These next pictures are the start of the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch.
I was so excited at every turn of the corner! Every part was beautiful! I took a million pics,
but I spared you of most of them. We are bowing to Mother Nature here. 

Big tree. 

Inspecting the thousands of exoskeletons on the tree. 

Rose Garden.

Begonias. My newest favorite flower. Look at the beautiful colors!

More begonias.

The Garden.

The blog post that took me 2 weeks to figure out

Oh hey. So G-ma, G-pa, and Mom.  This blog goes out to you, because you can't see any facebook pictures.  You should feel honored, because I hate blogging.  Just a warning, I didn't know how to put my pictures in any specific order, so it's just random.  And the captions are limited.  But, I wanted you to see a slice of NZ.  I love it!

P.S.  I named my blog, "Kiwi with the Skin Off" because that's how I eat kiwi's.  And obviously New Zealand is famous for kiwi's.  They call themselves "kiwi's".  Also it was a little joke, because I know someone, *cough, Pj*, who eats kiwi's with the skin ON!

Bella, me, Em.

Boogie boarding on Orewa Beach

Me and Emily on our first night. 

Rainy day at Long Bay

Me and our neighbor, Bella.

For all you Harry Potter fanatics.  We saw it under a bridge while kayaking.

Phyllis- the 70 year old woman who took us+ my friends kayaking on Puhoi River

A man loading our kayaks into the river.

Serene 

The girls on top of a mountain in the Waitakere Ranges

Julie's son Beau, and his babysitter, Emily. She got him this mustache kit.
He kept assuring us that it was really him under that hair!

Eating greasy fish and chips with our neighbor, Natalia
That right there is a greasy sausage/hotdog