I am adventurous, unconventional and ‘young at heart’.
Thank you for reading and rating my review...
I am adventurous, unconventional and ‘young at heart’.
Thank you for reading and rating my reviews. I’ll try my best to browse through all of your reviews as well. I also write on dooyoo.com, under the same name.
Member since:27.09.2009
Reviews:7
Members who trust:2
Location: Mokai Gravity Canyon, Taihape, New Zealand
The chair Cost: $110
Gravity Canyon is all that people say it is, and then some more. A place for ‘thrilling adventures of velocity and adrenaline’. The canyon is an amazing sight and of course the river should be viewed from all possible angles.
Now that was where my problems started. Jealousy.I watched the exhilaration and tremendous adrenalin rush enjoyed by those leaping from the bridge, attached to what looked like a large elastic band. No, I couldn’t do that (thinking of my poor old joints!).
The Flying Fox? Wow! That looked amazing… but what a climb to get to the top (the old joints problem again.) The Swing – much better for, let’s say, the mature person, surely. Except that you actually have to step out into space and… AGGH! No, think of the blood pressure.
However, the chair looked perfectly innocuous. Of course I could do that. I’d seen children doing it. Couldn’t be so very challenging and just think of the views I would get. Well, it seemed easy from a distance. But then I had to walk across what seemed to be a rickety old bridge. Well, truthfully it was a perfectly sound, fairly new bridge, but imagination can be a fearful thing.
So I signed up, strode across to the middle of the bridge, trying to look calm and confident, clutching my camera, sure that I’d be able to take fantastic pictures of my daughter who was about to swing. Hmm. First a strong harness is put on, to tether you safely. This is fastened to the chair as well. The chair – The chair is water-powered and drops 80 metres, down to just above the Mokai River.Two seats are mounted onto a small circular platform, so you could go down with a friend, side by side but looking at each other. Your feet are supported by the platform (thank goodness.) A strong strap is fastened across your stomach. There is a central pole to hold, and believe me, I held on VERY tightly! The back of the seat supported my lower back, but my top half, could, theoretically lean backwards….No chance!
Then they released the trapdoor….Resolutely staring ahead at the slowly changing canyon wall straight ahead of me, I went down, down, then paused. The views! Look at the views, I thought. Aggh! It’s a long way down! Breathe deeply, think calm thoughts.
Meanwhile, voices finally percolated through my daze of abject terror, calling to check I was ok and ready to take the photos of said extraordinarily brave daughter who by now was swinging high above me. Take pictures? Release my vicelike clamp on the bars? They HAD to be kidding! No way. But nor was I about to admit that internally I was freaking out. Of course I’m fine, I lied bravely.
Actually, it was lovely to end up so close to the river, able to look up and down the canyon. Even going up did not seem so very bad. Up, up, up through the trapdoor. What?! Un-strap me? Were they sure the floor was back in place? I shook all the way back across to the base, then smiled to all and sundry and said, ‘Wow! What an experience! Pity about your photos though.’
(Cross-posted to Dooyoo and other review sites)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Oops, sorry about that! Not sure what happened there. My first comment seemed to vanish into thin air so I tried to write it again from memory as best I could.
Colenso 14.10.2009 07:23
Very helpful, well written review. Well done! Even though I too am not getting any younger, like you I'm determined still to live life to the full - the way I have always done. Your example is an inspiration to all of us starting to enter, or shortly to enter, the autumnal years of our life.
Colenso 14.10.2009 07:20
Very good review - well done madam! Like you, I'm not as young as I used to be, but am determined not to let this affect the way I have always lived my life. Your example is an excellent one for all of us to follow, as we start to enter our autumnal years.
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
very helpful by (64%):
helpful by (36%):
