Lake Taupo

Well, now we are campers all the way!! But since the clock here is turned back one hour (their winter is starting) the sun now sets at 18.00.. which means that our evenings are "Turneight" (card game) in the light of the head-lamp until at least 20.00 when we are dead tired and tuck in...

Friday night we headed for Taupo region and stopped by a nice campsite by Mohaka riverside. Here we met the greatest locals inviting us for some beer by the fire. It was so nice sitting by the fire, sipping on some beers chatting with them. We woke up by the nice river and soon the sun came through the fog... what a place to stay!!

After some coffee and southern island tips by our new friends we headed northwest to Taupo town.

Today we woke up by the Lake Taupo at a riverside campsite. A bit sour in legs and feet after a 6 hours/19 kms walk through/over/around a couple of volcanos yesterday, but a nice breakfast and we were ready to go Skydiving!!!

Before the plane actually lifted I was very calm... I mean.. what can happen... how hard can it be??

Miss Conehead and Jacob

The plane lifted and we were heading for 12000 feet(4000 meters). On the way up I felt a little sick in my stomach... but during those 20 minutes, I got plenty of time to calm down. I was the second person that would go out of the plane... when we were buckled up to our tandem-master the adrenaline started to rush!!
The feeling of just have your legs dingling outside an airplane is crazy... and weird... I can not even explain it. And to even try to explain the free-fall when the tandem-master just pulled us out of the plane... it is undescribeable...
We were told that the freefall should last 45 seconds... and these 45 seconds were the longest seconds of my life. I mean... as soon as I got "back" to my sense (after5 seconds of chock) I just screamed and realized I was falling through the sky. Oh my god what a rush!!!!!!
Then the parachute opened and the tandem-master loosen up the straps and we just sailed through the sky for like 4 minutes. He also did some loops and I just screamed... I mean it was absolutely amazing. And the view!!! Blue sky and the Lake Taupo and the volcano in the back... it was, once again, amazing. Our landing was perfect... on the feet and perfectly standing!!
So... with that rush first thing of the day... what else to do??
Jacob was also amazed by the view and the experience, but since he is a hang-glider pilot he kind of know the thrilling feeling of being in the air...

We are now looking for some lunch and then checking out the water falls nearby. After that we are going further south and looking at taking the ferry to the south island on friday.
We are so much enjoying New Zealand and the weather is still great... 20 degrees during daytime and around 8 during night. Just hoping it will not be much colder on the south island.

See you all soon!!