New Zealand Travels (March 12th, 2003)

"Up with the lark and on the Magic Bus for 8am. This time it was a oong haul to Taupo, with a couple of brief stops on the way. Dangerous Dean (and son Ryan) was our driver and it wasn't long before had left Wellington far behind and were heading into some of the best scenery the North Island had to offer. We wound our way slowly up a mountain pass, the view from which was sadly reduced by the cloud descending as mist. This also gave me cause for concern because I had booked myself onto a sky diving experience. Why? Becauuse it scared me. A long time ago I had the opportunity of booking a parachute jump and I bottled it by convincing myself that it wasn't necessary and I could still grow as a person. Inside I knew differently and this started a conflict within me. My spirit was urging me to go for it, my ego was aying "No, too scary - er, um, not necessary and bit weird wanted to do this unnatural thing." After al these spiritual growth books I had read (as well as the well-meaning advice I spewed to "solve" other peoples problems) there was no longer an excuse. It had to be done. In addition, after I had finished the West Highland Way I made a promise to myself that I would no longer be a slave to Fear. That is not say that I would become without Fear, for that is foolhardy. In contrast, I resolved to become courageous and face Fear, experience it and overcome it. This has become a series of exercises in emotional intelligence - the the transcendent ego to experience emotions appropriately. So I signed up and waited to arrive in Taupo to face my (ultimate so far) Fear.

Before that we stopped off in Napier which was flattened by an earthquake in the 1930s and as a result of the rebuild contains some of the worlds best Art Deco architecture. While I was impressed with a lot of it, I am glad that I chose to stay over in Taupo because there is a not a lot to do in Napier. During lunch I chatted to Heidi, a Dutch woman who had taken 10 weeks annual leave from nursing to go on a WWOOF adventure. This involved staying at various farms that practice organic cultivation methods and helping out with the work. In return she received food and lodgings and, of course, useful experience.

A little while later and we arrived in Taupo. Internationally recognised as the cheapest and best place to learn to sky dive. Taupo has a lot of skydiving schools centered on the little aeordrome by Lake Taupo. Interestingly, the neary volcano (now extinct) formed the basis for Mount Doon in Lord of the Rings.

All through the journey I had been getting brief flashes of fear, anxiety and alarm coupled with excitement and disappointment. The disappointment came from the frequent squalls of rain and general bad weather rolling in - the excitement came every time the sun came out. It was as if God was playing games with me. Teasing me with the possibility of going through a whole night of anticipation...

And Lo! it did come to pass,
That Gary spent the night on the grass,
For the Almighty made it known,
That Gary should should bemoan,
So the rain came down like a cow pissing on a flat stone.

I went to the pub. And got wasted at Mulligans and the Holy Cow. So trolleyed was I that neither myself nor Rachel (beautiful English girl I met) could find the way home. It took us about an hour to walk the 400 metres back to the hostel. Mainly 'cos we kept walking in the wrong direction."