Of Sleep, Midnight Feasts and the Jam Sandwich Question
Cal's Jam sandwiches pay off. On arrival in both Australia and New Zealand Monst being a decent, honest and trustworthy individual felt moved to declare there existence at the security checks. Probably the best policy but I'd've taken on the role of international jam sarnie smuggler myself. Still uneaten when we got here and with a flaked Cal in the bed they looked destined to be the furthest travelled uneaten sarnies in the business. Cal meanwhile has woken up, at 3.00 am, 4.00 am and 5.00 am and applied the Bagpuss principle. Last time it's only me who wakes and the result of Cal stating he's hungry is the consumption of the Sarnies in some desparate midnight feast situation.
Meanwhile I am now awake and psyching myself for today's bungee jump.
Monst and Cal are on a mission to source a car seat for Cal, he needs a booster to be able to see out the window. I wander off rediculously early for my bungee jump, mainly so I can find the offices of AJ Hackett in good time and have time to grab a coffee and chill. Grab a copy of the New Zealand Herald, it's like a large version of the Bolton Evening News and nip to one of the many Starbucks around. The sport naturally focus' on the Rugby but Netball gets a look in to along with racing and golf.
Wander round taking photies a plrnty on a misty morning. Get kinda lost looking for Westhaven Drive and resort to a bait shop for directions. They try flogging me a fishing rod in a jokey way suggesting I could give it a go while jumping. I mutter things about worm dangling. I enjoy the walk. Ask for further directions in the ominously titled Sitting Duck Cafe and find the Hackett Office. Wander round and find the gaff. Marginal complication, no jumps until the fog clears. They offer to run me back to Viaduct or suggest the Sitting Duck. I opt for the latter and try to contact Monst. The old girl I asked for directions asks if I decided not to jump. Explain it's useful to be able to see boats coming (this answers an earlier query of mine that I hadn't voiced - you jump when there aren't boats coming). Grab a coffee and am stunned by the aray of what look to me like the most amazing home made cakes. Resist the temptation. Nice buzz about the Sitting Duck, worth sitting in. I enjoy being able to just relax. Should have dragged Cal here an old girl has just received the largest stack of pancakes I've seen. Nice place they seem happy for you to hang around doing little in the way of using the facilities. I have little to read having been through the New Zealand Herald earlier (alarmingly find myself scanning for health articles!) Then I remember my encounter with a Hare Krishna rep yesterday. He caught me at a moment where I was knackered in the extreme and when he started on about the Bible's expunging of the concept of re-incarnation (was it ever there) and asked me my opinion of religion, I unfortunately told him. Dunno how many people he has to deal with that tell him '.... And don't get me on the subject of predestination'. Mind you I doubt he gets many punters that are that bothered by 17th century religous attitudes and beliefs. Anyway he gave me in return for a nominal donation a copy of 'Beyond Birth and Death', it's summat to read....
Message comes through from Monst and we arrange to meet at the Maratime Museum later. Think Cal will enjoy it, Monst certainly will. Good news is she's sourced a car seat and flask.
Bungee jumping, the most bizarre thing. Things I'm not expecting - the fear of not jumping is bigger than the fear of jumping. The full story begins with the bondage scene at Hacketts, climbing into the harness shows how my sense of balance is wrecked. The piss poor jokes show the tension. The weather is just lifting and there are questions about whether we jump or not. Then there is the walk along the underside of the bridge, you get clipped to a wire, you're about to jump off the bloody thing but safety dictates you clip on to climb it. Actually the whole thing is incredibly safety conscious, all carabiners and safety ropes. When we get to the pod (it looks like it's been nicked from a stray airship) there is a predetermined jump order. A geezer called Alan jumps first and makes an impressive job of it. I jump third. As my legs get strapped into the harness that'll connect to the Bungee I get some time to ponder will I/should I back out, do I really not believe in any deities. Jump first go with a smidge of hesitation and the sensation is nothing like I expect. I wxpect it to feel like the dreaded twitch in the night where you feel like you're falling in your sleep. This has no sensation of fall other than the water coming at you somewhat fast. I also expect the bounces to be jerky, they're smooth. Mind you I'm busy counting bounces because four in I need to release myself, so maybe that keeps my mind busy. Credit to Lynton who's wife didn't tell him she'd bought him a jump for his birthday and didn't tell him until they arrived at the airport. Nice, couple I liked 'em.
Post-bungee get the T-shirt and am instructed to meet the folks across the water at Devonport where they've visited a second world war battery, having spent the morning at the Maritime Museum. Inspired by this Cal asked to go on a boat. Subsequently they've gone to a play park. Cal has had a huge breakfast and didn't want any lunch. Monst is starving and we head to a chippy where Monst eats hoki and chips, I munch a cheese toastie, Cal nicks fish and chips. Good they were too. Nip to the local record shack and locate a fine NZ rack and come away with 'Submarine Bells' which Flying Nun have re-released. Looks like the indies are faves to stock NZ music, odd.
Home, all knackered, Monst does a wash, I fetch food and Cal does his scrapbook and kips. I want too post food but have a dryer to attend to.
