Tuesday, 27th of December 2011 will be remembered as the most epic day of my life so far. Since the 24th of December, I have been on a sponsored trip by Nomads Fat Camel in Auckland. They sent me on a trip with the Stray bus and their mascot, Clarence the Camel, to participate in all sorts of crazy shenanigans all over New Zealand as I was heading to Wellington.

I will definitely write about all the other days soon, but this photo essay is dedicated to this unbelievable day. A day that began by staying up until 5am in the morning at a Marae and getting only an hour of sleep. Each activity was so incredible that I’ll have to break them up into their own articles at one point, but for now, here is a visual representation.

Dropped of at Kaitiaki Adventures, we hit the raging rapids if the Kaituna River which also has the worlds largest waterfall, 7 meters, that you can go down commercially.

It was fast paced and exhilarating. You are forced to make quick decisions and respond instantly at the command of your guide. After each pounding waterfall and rapid, you stand and roar with victory. Our hard work paid off, we made it through every waterfall without faltering, but some of the other rafts weren’t so lucky!

Sulfer Bubble Burst

We stopped off at the boiling, egg smelling sulfur pools right outside Rotorua for a quick whiff and peek. It was wild seeing the whole area steaming and bubbling. Every few seconds, one of the circles would pop, spewing molten mud into the air.

As I was watching these mud pits burst, I kept thinking about the stinking bogs in the movie Labyrinth, and how if I fell in, I may smell of rotten eggs forever. Still a crazy sight.

Bubbling Sulfer Pits

 

We briefly stopped off to take a dip into the Hot and Cold River. Burning hot water flows down, heated by geothermal activity in the area. Downhill it merges with a cold water stream, creating the perfect hot tub like temperature. It was awesome to relax in the pool, but make sure not to dip your head under water or take a secret wiz in the water, apparently there are some wicked parasites that can get at you these two ways. Nasty.

Chillaxing in the Hot and Cold Water River

Before we got to Taupo, we made a quick stop at Huka Falls. At this point I was barely able to stay awake from the mornings activities, but I would fight on.

The river and waterfalls were stunning. It is a mix of white, light blue and a deep dark blue flowing through a rocky canyon. I don’t think I have ever seen water this cooler naturally, and it was hard to believe at first.

Raging Huka Falls water flow

Luckily there wasn’t too much activity at this point. It was a great area to stop and admire the power and beauty of nature, while trying to recoup some of my energy.

A Panoramic View of Huka Falls

When I got to Taupo, I had to run to catch the bus to Taupo Bungy before they closed. It was never my plan to do all of this in one day, but I decided to stay on the same Stray bus, which meant I was overlapping my other days activities.

For the Cliff Hanger, they swing you out over the Waikato River 44 meters up in the air. The crew chats you up a bit while you are dangling over the rocks and water, just enough to let your guard down, then SNAP!

I could see the slack in the ropes, and even though I knew I was safe, I was still freaking out the first bit of the drop. After the swing catches you and you soar back into the air, the sensation is amazing. You can just kick back and enjoy the ride as you swing back and forth above the birds.

Taupo Cliff Hanger, "Oh Shit!"

 

Following right after the Cliffhanger was something I was extremely nervous about, Bungy Jumping. My stomach doesn’t seem to like heights much, even though I am addicted to the feeling you get when you look over a tall ledge.

I waddled up to the edge of the platform, and with a little assistance (just a little) I leaped. My first thought: What have I done?! I remember cursing on my way down, even the thought that I was jumping to my death crossed my mind when I saw the rope disappear behind me.

I hit the water down to my waist, probably swallowing a gallon of water on the way in, and everything was suddenly silent. Within a split second I shot back out of the water, now with a completely different feeling. I felt this unbelievable sensation that I was alive, and all I could do was laugh and enjoy the rest of the time bouncing up and down.

To cap off the night, a group of us decided to go to the local bar and take advantage of the 2 for 1 drinks, perfect for us backpackers! While there, the bartender strolled up and asked if we would be interested in playing a round of elimination pool with the rest of the bar for 10 free drinks. Hell Yeah!

10 free drinks!

Now, I am not very good at pool, but this night I played the best game of my life. Round after round I pocketed balls, while everyone else was losing lives each turn. The game started with 10 of us, and now it was down to just me and another backpacker. I was shaking because I was so nervous and surprised. Everyone I came with was cheering and commenting in disbelief, telling me I was a secret pool shark. Not at all.

I finished the game with 2/3 lives left, and won. I still don’t know how I did it, maybe luck, but we chugged down the spoils of victory and danced the night away.

If that wasn’t enough, everyone wanted to go sing karaoke. I had been running on 1 hr of sleep and was totally wired at this point. Maybe that helped me agree to sing karaoke, or maybe it was the whiskey gingers and Jäger shots that help me loosen up. Either way, it was an awful drunken rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” that I dedicated to my pops .I thought it wasn’t bad for the lack of energy and the horrible allergies of late! The video is below if you want to give it a watch, we get better towards the end I promise!

The most epic day of my life, I still can’t believe all of that happened in one day, but it did.

What was the most epic day of your life so far? Comment below!

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