Free Falling and Frolicking through New Zealand...

On January 15th I was able to check something else off on my bucket list: BUNGEE JUMPING!! If you like heights and a thrill than you should defiantly consider doing it. It was a once in a life time experience. I was only going to buy the photos but after seeing the DVD and having the same adrenaline rush I had to get it! I loved it!! I would do it again in a heartbeat! After taking a short bus ride we got put into a harness and a helmet and climbed up the Auckland Bridge. We took about a flight of stairs up to the launch pod. The instructors then explained what was going to happen and how we were going to jump. I was the second person to jump out of 4. The first and last girls needed a little but of a push from the instructor, but not me, I was ready to go. They opened the pod door, sort of like a garage door and the first girl jumped. Then it was my turn. The instructor asked if I wanted to get dunked in the water. I said I wanted to touch it but not get completely soaked. They strapped up my ankles and then attached the bungee cord. I wobbled my way to walk the plank. And  5.4.3.2.1... Take off. It was an amazing feeling. I think I even prefer it over skydiving. I don't know though, both have such an adrenaline rush.

On our last full day of New Zealand we decided to take a tour out to the Hobbiton movie set and farm. It was an opportunity to see another part of New Zealand. More of the countryside. We had to take about two and a half hour drive to get to the movie set. Of course I passed out on the way there (and back). After starting our visit with some warm muffins and tea at The Shire's Rest, we continued on a bus on the 1,250 acre farm. We got to look and take tons of pictures of hobbit holes, including the newly built ones just for the new Hobbit movie. We got the opportunity to learn a lot about Director Peter Jackson's camera tricks and what he had to do to capture his vision for all the films made there. Peter Jackson really took the time to make all the small details in the book translated to the movies. An example would be that the young hobbits were described eating plums under the plum trees in the book, however New Zealand climate is apparently not compatible to grow plums; so Peter Jackson stripped the trees before filming attached fake plums and leaves just for a couple seconds of the movie. Of course I had to run through some fields barefoot due to my brother's request. It was worth it though! After the tour we had some hard cider and got to enjoy lunch at The Green Dragon Inn. We continued onto the zealong tea plantation, which is the only tea plantation in New Zealand.  We got to try their 4 different teas with the traditional tea service and some food pairings. You can defiantly say we were exhausted after the long day of being a hobbit.