Rotorua is known for its kiwi adventures and outdoor activities. To get the most in a day, we arrived at SkyLine when it opened at 9 am.
We caught a gondola ride up the mountain and caught snippets of mountain bike extreme courses on the way up. Another glorious day meant picturesque views from the top.
The boys have been talking about doing the Sky Swing for a few days and with no line I suggested they accomplish this one first. I think they wanted a few more hours to work up courage but they agreed and all 3 hopped in a swinging, spinning chair that was pulled 50 meters up, facing forward. Then Steve had to pull the ripchord (which anticlimactically took 3 tries) and the release sent them shooting 130 km/hour forward. The video is absolutely priceless and will be posted soon. I laughed so hard I cried.
Next up was the Luge. This attraction is essentially plastic carts on wheels with a handle bar that is used to brake. The first route was the scenic one and it allowed us to get the hang of steering these fast but pretty safe carts. You ride a chairlift back up and have the intermediate and advanced options. The advanced was definitely challenging with changing pitches that some people actually got off and walked. But not us, we all loved it!!! No scars or scrapes on this one.
For a break Steve and I enjoyed a glass of wine at Volcanic Hills which was located at the top of the mountain. The only winery (tasting room) in the world that sits atop a Volcanic cone and requires a gondola ride to access. Annie was one of the friendliest kiwis and we loved the wine, the cheese platter and the conversation.
After a brief drive thru town we arrived at Canopy Tours, the Zipline tour. We were harnessed up and jumped into a van driven by Luke, and narrated by Paul. These young men were our guides for the day and did a fantastic job. We we're grouped with a family of 3 (Todd, Marcy and their son Brad) who used to live in Federal Way but now live in LA, and a kiwi couple named Mary Lou and Chris who are actually cave guides at waimoto but lived in Canada for a couple years. We all got on very well and Paul had us laughing in minutes.
We drove 10 minutes to a native rain forest that is protected. It became clear that much of this tour was about conservation and bringing back the native animal population (birds mainly) as it was about the death defying Zipline.
Paul introduced us to several birds who ate worms out of our hands when he called them. If this was a distraction for what we were about to undertake, it worked for a minute.
Soon we were on a platform linked in and going through the safety instructions. And suddenly it was time to go. Colby volunteered to be first, which meant Grady went next. And I was third. I hate heights and my heart was pounding. It was scary as (local slang). But I made it across.
I'd like to say it got easier but it didn't really. Yes I learned to rely on the harness but each line had a new challenge, from going backwards to swinging rope bridges to steps leading off the edge with no rail. Definitely got the heart pumping.
Near the end we had another conservation discussion where they discussed how the introduction of predators wiped out the birds. possums, rats and snoats were to blame. The conservation group went on an all put hunt several years back, trapping hundreds of invasive animals. Possums are the worst and it was highly encouraged that we treat them like speed bumps if we saw them on the road (mom this is so you!).
Realizing that this method was too expensive in labor they had to come up with a better solution. New technology resulted in CO2 powered gizmos that attach to a tree and look like a cordless drill. A chocolate or cinnamon paste acts as bait and when a critter sniffs it, a piston shoots up into it's skull. Pretty effective. They get multiple kills in a night and only need to changed every few weeks. Up to 14 rats we're caught on one alone. The possum version even sends CO2 into the skull to ensure no survival.
Since using these the birds have started to return to the forest. It's working and it was gruesome but fascinating.
After surviving the Zipline we headed into Rotorua and grabbed dinner at Eat Streat. Then we went back to our peaceful townhome on the lake for a super chill evening (and laundry).
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