Tauranga/Mount Monganue

February 19
Tauranga

Well, the tour worked out – I got to go rafting! But not without some difficulties…
I left it last night where I was just about to send the tour operator an email about final numbers, and that’s what I did as soon as I finished writing my blog. Without yet having found the other person on the ship who I was told was organizing the tour, I sent out an email 3 minutes before it was due letting the operator know to use whatever number the other crew member gave him, or if he hadn’t heard from the other crew member, that the number was 8 people (I figured that was a large enough number for him to work with us on the tour, despite me at the time knowing of 3 other people who were actually interested).
Anyways, I was lucky enough to have the internet on the ship fail last night, right when I really would have needed it working. This really complicated essential communications for a tour that was supposed to happen the next day. That aside, I did eventually find the other crew member who was said to be organizing the tour. When I talked to her that night I found out that she had no idea what the price was, pick up time, how to pay, and that she hadn’t checked her emails for a week, meaning she certainly hasn’t contacted the tour operator recently in regards to the rafting trip. I took some of her names from the list, made a few phone calls, and eventually sent out an email a midnight that night to the operator, much later than he’d asked for to get a final confirmation. That being done, I went to bed hoping that I’d get an email back in the morning saying the tour was still going to happen.
So that brings me to today, when I woke up early to check my email and find out whether or not this tour was actually going to happen. The internet was working again and I had gotten a reply from the operator, we were set up to leave that morning around 10:30-10:45...perfect. So next step – I called everyone on my list to confirm that the tour was going out that morning. I called the girl who was previously setting up the tour and she was still able to go, but after she called her contacts, she let me know all her people backed out, not good. I called the two friends of mine who I knew were ready to go, they paced their stuff and met me at the gangway. Meanwhile, the other names I had received weren’t returning my calls or pages, meaning the group that was supposed to contain 10 people had been diminished to just 3, not enough for a raft. So there I am, outside the gangway 15 minutes before the pick up time, standing there with my two friends trying to figure out how to get another few people on the tour. The girl who previously tried to organize the group did show up, but was of absolutely no use in filling out the group furthermore. So my friend Moody (he goes by his last name), started recruiting some more people while I checked the bus status and made sure everything was organized with the tour operator.
The bus was running late, thankfully, and that gave us some time to gather a few more people together. In the meantime, we were able to get a hold of a few people who were in rehearsal that had been interested in the trip, and told them to hustle down to the pier as soon as rehearsal let out. Also, there was a photographer who was interested, and due to the delays, was also able to run inside and get his stuff together when he was let off work early. By about 11:10 we had left the pier with a total group of 8, exactly the number I’d quoted the tour operator originally. I could finally relax and enjoy the tour.
We drove to the rafting company’s site where we were given gear, signed our waiver, and transported to the river. After a quick training we were off in two separate rafts, my raft in front. I was especially excited for the tour because this was going to be the first time I really got to test my camera’s underwater and shock-resistant abilities. So with a paddle in hand and my camera dangling by a lanyard from my life vest, we hit the first of three waterfalls.
The first two weren’t especially spectacular, I was almost even a bit disappointed. It was still nice to be out in a raft and doing something this cool, but we rode through those drops with little difficulty. The only problem was that the line I was grabbing onto somehow smashed my fingers, which gave me a lot of concern for the larger drop that was to come. We went through some more decent rapids before approaching the highlight of the trip, a 21 foot waterfall. This is the largest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, meaning I figured the bragging rights of having done it would be worth whatever it cost. Anyways, we set up for the fall, brace ourselves down inside the raft, and make the drop. When a raft with 7 people falls from 21 feet straight down, there’s a decent amount of downward momentum fighting floatation. The result: a fully submerged raft. Yeah, we went off the waterfall, went fully under the water, and then popped up sideways in the pool below (the group bought pictures, so I’ll try to post those online). That right there made up for any disappointment from the first two falls. We then watched the other raft make the plunge, where it surfaced with one less person…my friend Moody – so that was funny.
We continued on down the river. There were a few more rapids, one of which actually through the guide sitting on the back of the raft into the water. Because of how we went down the rapid, the back of the raft bounced up hard and threw him flying off of it, which he said hasn’t happened in years. Meanwhile, the rest of us still in the raft, go careening at full speed into a rock wall because our guide who gives the orders for forward or back is swimming behind us. The guide who went flying thought it was hilarious, the girl that almost got her head taken of by a rock ledge probably felt otherwise.
The last feature of the run was what the guides called river surfing. Usually, after the downward movement of water in a rapid, there is an upward bulge of water that you can position a raft on top of. Then, with two people in the front (me being one of them), you can dig the front of the raft into the water and get a ton of water in your face...which I’m sure is more fun than it actually sounds. Anyways, it was cool that the raft would sit on the proceeding bulge while I stared at the fast moving water right under me, which we have some good pictures of as well.
We finished the run, exited the raft, and were then transported back to the original building where it all began. After a change of clothes and us purchasing a CD of pictures taken by the professional photographer, we headed back home. We made a quick lunch stop at a convenience store, where I had a meatloaf sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, caramelized onions, and a large slice a really nice cheese. I wasn’t sure that I’d like it when I bought it but it ended up being absolutely delicious (yeah, a meatloaf sandwich, go figure).
Just cause I can’t help but mention it, we drove through a city on the way to and from the river named Te Puke. I’m sure it’s not pronounced as I would like it to be, but it was really amusing to me and my 5 year old sense of humor. From the Te Puke Car Repairs to the Old Te Puke Cemetery, it just never got old. Definitely a blog-worthy city! Maybe I should have gotten some Te Puke souvenirs…ok, I’ll stop.
Back at the ship I went through the pictures, rested for an hour, and then headed out again with Moody to climb the same mountain that I climbed last time in port. We jogged over to the base of the mountain, made the climb, and quickly came back down as we were running out of time for the day. But it was a great day off the ship and certainly one of the most physical of my ship excursions.
I went to the show that night and enjoyed a night off, nice! Thanks for reading and be sure to check for the pics!