So this was our crazy, jam packed adventure filled day. Had to get an early start and beetle down to down for our "Ride of the Rings" tour with Dart Stables. Andreas picked us up downtown and then on to Glenorchy. Beautiful countryside around there! We went to the stable and got kitted out in gum boots, helmets and gloves and then went on a 4x4 tour up to Paradise. It was a cold, frosty morning and we were wishing we could have stayed in our hiking boots a bit longer since they were way warmer. The driver had a lot of good info about the LOTR movies as well as Wolverine and Narnia and was kind of neat to go through some roads we could definitely not travel on with our camper. We crossed many streams that go right across the roads here. That seems to be fairly common on many back roads. Water is always flowing somewhere. While it is kind of interesting for people to point out specific movie locations, I think we are looking more for place where you get the atmosphere or the feeling from the movies. While we have done some hikes through forest. I'm looking forward to doing some more leisurely ones and pretend to be a hobbit. Just joking about the last.
After the tour, it was time to meet our horses and our guide Pamela. Geoff had warned them about his soar back they gave him a large, easy ride horse called McCleod. Kinda looked like a Clydesdale to me. Sam got the famous horse, Oscar who appeared in the LOTR ride of Rohan. Apparently this brush with stardom gave a bit of attitude and an air of superiority. Catriona was on Presley and I rode Randall. He had a strange habit of liking to chew the wood fence posts and was also the horse who could get loose from the ropes. The horses all had their own hierarchy and so we were to ride in order. I think this was Sam's first ride on a horse and Catriona really hadn't done much riding either but they both did well. We didn't' attempt anything very challenging though. It was a nice bright but cool morning and the scenery was very beautiful. We crossed some very muddy pasture. rocky ground and even went through the Dart river (a very shallow bit of it anyway). We had a bit of excitement for me and Geoff when Randal and McCleod had a brief altercation. Randal liked a nice drink at the river and was second last when McCleod came up behind him and spooked him. The eats went back on both of them and they looked ready to take off! Resolved peacefully in the end with neither of us falling off!
After our busy morning, it was time to head out for the next thing we were all looking forward to but dreading. The Shotover Canyon swing. It was nice when it was a few days away so you don't have to face looking over that edge! 109 metres down and a 60 metre free fall. We knew going in that the guys there have a really wicked sense of humour and that's one of the things we liked about this particular company. Instead of writing your weight on your hand they draw pictures with coloured ink pens.
Some things are a bit less funny when faced with the long drop though. The little jerk forward then pull back was a bit scary! Catriona and I were going to do the "Cutaway" where they suspend you out aways then release you for the free fall until the swing arcs you out over the canyon. On the the way up there, we were told that way was only for pussies and its better to take matters into your own hands and just do a forward step off the platform. So this is the way we went. I honestly wasn't sure we would cause it really goes against all your instincts of self preservation. Nonetheless we both made the jump. It was hella scary! It did seem like a really ling free fall and even the swing part was unnerving. I remember saying to Cat and she agreed that I was glad we tried it but I didn't need to do it again. Being hauled back up was a bit uncomfortable but not too bad. Geoff and Sam went next doing the same. Sam looked scared and wasn't sure she would go through with it but she did. And liked it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go solo for her next jump or with someone, We finally decided to do it together so she chose "Gimp boy does Hollywood" for the style. They suspend you out a bit, face toward the canyon floor, feet along the rope and free hand pointing down, then release. It was super fast and for some reason not quite as scary as the first time. Quite liked it! I think Sam is quite a little daredevil.. the same way Cat is for Roller coasters.
Lots of funny signs on the way up to the jump. They also had a swear jar with Samuel. L. Jackson on it - most amusing. Under the sign with medical conditions, they wrote in canadian. Not sure if they did that when we got there of it was the benefit of some previous jumpers.
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