The loud clunk of the generator coming back on at 6:30AM was enough to wake everybody up from their slumber. The guys and girls both in the shower room and brushing their teeth next to each other at the sinks looked like something out of the television show Ally McBeal. Breakfast was served upstairs, while the Milford Wanderer slowly headed back towards the pier. While the previous afternoon was one of the warmest we had felt, this morning was definitely one of the coldest. Some of us after breakfast went and sat out on deck near the bow, huddled together trying to generate and share body heat. At one point we even sailed up so close to a waterfall that we could feel the water splashing on us.

We docked back at the pier and boarded our coach for the drive out of Fiordland National Park, making another lunch stop back in Te Anau. With my impending bungee jump off the Kawarau Bridge, I decided not to eat too much. Indrani treated me to a double scoop of hokey-pokey ice cream, for good luck on my jump. We boarded our coach and continued on our way to the Kawarau River, stopping along the way when we saw some alpine parrots wandering around the side of the mountain road. Even for Michael, who lived in New Zealand, it was the first time he had seen these birds. Back on the coach we went, where Gavin put in a movie, The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. I stayed awake the whole time and watched it, as it is one of my all-time favourite movies. Right on cue, the movie ended just as we pulled up to the world's first bungee jump site at the Kawarau Bridge. The site itself is a visitor's attraction, even for those not intending to throw themselves off the bridge. There were 14 of us who were going to bungee jump, while the rest of the group sat or stood on the sidelines to cheer us on. While jumping out of an airplane didn't get me nervous very much at all, I was terrified at the prospect of jumping off a bridge. I think that because you are so high up when you skydive, you don't get the impression that you are plummeting towards the ground below, whereas with the bungee jump, you are much closer to the ground when you jump and the ground appears to rush up at you quicker. But I couldn't back out, since I had already paid for it and I told everyone back home (except for my parents) that I would come back home having jumped out of an airplane, water rafted and bungee jumped. Also, I just had to do it so I would have no regrets about not trying it. Also, if Extreme Colleen the Machine and Fred could do both the 47m Ledge and the 134m Nevis Highwire, there was no reason why I couldn't do this "small" 43m jump. All those who had done the previous two bungee jumps were also participating, as well as ten more of us. Looking down into the gorge, it didn't appear as high up as I though it would be. When it was my turn to go, I had a towel put around both my ankles and several tight nylon straps wrapped around that as well. Then came the actual bungee cord getting connected not once but twice to the straps wrapped tightly around my ankles. The cord itself was actually very heavy, much more than I thought it would be. I was then helped up onto my feet and shuffled to the edge of the platform. I looked down momentarily but then quickly pointed my eyes forward at the bridge in the distance. Looking down was the worse thing you could do before you bungee jump; it would be the one thing that would stop you dead from going over the edge. Then came the countdown: "3 ... 2 ... 1 ... BUNGEE!" I leapt forward, eyes closed momentarily. All of my senses except for touch ceased to function as all I could feel was the wind rushing up at me. I opened my eyes to see the river below coming up at me. Then I felt a soft pressure around my ankles and before I knew it, I was being pulled upwards. I bounced a few more times and also spun around like a top, all the while trying to locate the cheering section without any luck. I was then lowered onto a raft waiting below where the bungee cord was unhooked from around my ankles. We paddled to shore where I was back safely on my two feet. It was a great experience to finally bungee jump, and while I wouldn't equate the excitement to the same level of skydiving, I was glad to have experienced it. We were given a choice as to whether or not we wanted to "splash down", in which contact could be made with the river water below. Wanting to stay dry, I didn't choose that option, while both Bernardine and Sinead did. Upon hearing that, Chad pointed out that "this could very well be the sexiest bungee jump I will ever witness." I retrieved my souvenir T-shirt and the video of my bungee jump. Photographs I ordered were going to be sent via mail to my home back in Toronto. That officially marked the end of the adventure activities in New Zealand, as we boarded the coach and were on our way to Lake Ohau.

It was another long drive to way out in the middle of nowhere, literally. Gavin had us all get off the coach as we approached a bridge as he stated that the bridge wasn't strong enough to support the weight of the coach with all the people on it. It sounded a little odd, as we walked across the bridge, followed by Tracy driving the coach over. We got back on the coach again and continued on our way to beautiful Lake Ohau. There was absolutely nothing around the area, except for the Lake Ohau Lodge, which was where we were to stay for our last official night together as a whole group. The sun had completely set when we arrived and checked into our rooms, which as with many of our other accommodations, were in dormitory-like buildings. John and I roomed together once again. Dinner was almost immediately after we checked in, in the lodge restaurant. It was another buffet-style dinner as we've often had. Since it was to be our last official night together as a group and the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere, Gavin had arranged for us to hold a toga party in the hotel bar for the night. We each could "rent" an extra bed sheet for $1.00NZ (to cover the cost of cleaning) that we could wear as a toga.

After dinner, most of us retreated back to our rooms with a bed sheet in hand to try and figure out a way to wear it without looking too ridiculous or without it falling down. People began making their way to the bar in their togas, where even the bartender joined in the fashion show and wore a bright red toga of his own. It was a night of conversation, drinking, playing pool, more drinking, dancing, and did I mention drinking?

At the toga party: Andrea, Melanie, Matan, Mick

Top: Tessa, 2G, Brenda, Sinead, Michael, Sheree, Vicky, Hayley, Chad
Bottom: Damien, Renee

Group photo at the toga party

Up close to a waterfall on Milford Sound

Chad checking out the alpine parrots

Beautiful Lake Ohau at dusk

Mick in his toga and lovely pink headgear from the Rubik's Cube party
Photo courtesy of Michael Lucas