If I were Bill Bryson, I’d pontificate upon my fears & the dangers to my person due to whitewater rafting Class V rapids, indicating that I would or did barely survive signing the waiver form (much, much shorter than its American counterpart, I assure you!). However, I am not he. Instead, I quite enjoy my youthful belief in my own immortality, & signed my life away w/o qualm or hesitation, in fact, even w/ excitement.
Thus, after being wet-suited & fleeced up (my fleece being black & white w/ paw prints), told a bit about safety by a Japanese guide w/ less-than-spectacular English, we departed, taking on water immediately & surfing the rapids, just for fun, while surrounded by our safety kayakers, who were remarkable! I wish I had the kind of skill it takes to surf rapids, keep kayaks standing upright, perform various types of rolls, & take on waterfalls fearlessly. But I digress. The scenery was beautiful (lush greenery), it was raining, we had a fun guide who explained that our 1st rapid was named American Foreplay, b/c it was easy & short-lived (of course, Liz & I took offense to that!). We then proceeded over 1 & 5meter waterfalls in quick succession w/ no problems, w/ our 21 ft waterfall beckoning us onward. Even standing in the raft, I couldn’t see the other rafts descend or enter the pool below. Before we took off, we were reminded one last time on how to hold on, paddled, then plunged over the edge, whereupon we were completely submerged (photos show nothing but the glistening spray of water & a flash of yellow paddle). We popped back out again, clearing our eyes, nose, & mouths of water, then looked back @ our accomplishment, having conquered the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. What fun! We did, however, wish that we’d flipped, just to add to the adventure.
After the 21 fter, we played through the rest of the rapids, dowsing raft partners in the surf, etc. All this fun for a mere $68, which is about how much it takes to fill our petrol tank! Oh, yeah, we were on the Kaituna River, in case you were wondering.
Following this, we (Liz, Toby, & I, Toby being a fellow WWOOFer @ Liz Sims’ place, our WWOOF hostess) clambered back into the van & headed toward the “Secret Spot,” a hot river in which to languish, which we proceeded to do for a couple hours, w/ the requisite naked older gentleman. On our way back, we stopped @ the boiling, burbling mud pools, which were fascinating! It was really too bad that we couldn’t play in them, it was almost too much temptation to bear, though the thought that you could die helped keep it at bay. We then returned to Liz’s, ate some fruit crumble, & finished watching “Return of the King” (LotR—we’ve now managed to watch the entire trilogy) What a great day!
Not everyday is filled w/ so much excitement—we’ve earned our play time w/ hrs of work in the vineyard, & more recently as WWOOFers, which we do to save $ on food & lodging. Most recently, we’ve done a ton of cleaning, b/c our hostess is renting out her home & her holiday house (on the same property) for Christmas; she’s headed to her in-laws. To tell you the truth, she can be quite annoying, showing favouritism to others & utilizing a shrill, piercing voice to call both her dog & her daughter. (I’m personally of the opinion that her dog could poop on her face, & she’d just reply w/ a voice like the concentrated scream of an eagle, “Oh, Sherpy, what a silly dog, would you just look @ that? Aren’t you darling?”) We comfort ourselves in that we’ve got free laundry, internet, a clean room to ourselves, kayaks & bikes, all in a gorgeous spot, & it’s not like she’s a slave driver. So, we’re here through the 22nd or 23rd.
In addition to the aforementioned activities, we’ve managed to go kayaking on the lake, attend a neighbourhood Christmas pizza- party, check out a Maori village & hot thermal activity. We’ve even see Jesus walking on water, courtesy of an historic church that incorporates both Maori & traditional decorations. For example, the walls are covered in geometrically-designed mats, the windows are stained glass featuring saints, & the pulpit features traditional Maori men holding it upright. Jesus was a whiteish appliqué-type thing on the window that looks out toward the lake, which is how he appears to be walking on water. Very interesting.
and oh, yes, let me not forget to mention the erection of a penis that we witnessed, as well. Actually, it was the opening ceremony for a new lookout point for the Lake, featuring a Maori totem pole; most Maori poles are rather square, featuring faces & such. This pole was supposedly like a canoe, but w/ a wider base than top, w/ a definite flange toward the top! I couldn't help but stare, goggle-eyed, as the unveiling occured; there's no way others didn't think the same as I, although they did keep listening attentively to the speaker...
