‘Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.’-Helen Keller
Sorry I’ve been a bit MIA. I had a massive life change…I moved to Bend, Oregon! While moving back to the West Coast had been in motion, the move itself was a bit rushed. Due to my life on the road, I have had horrendous wifi. I will write all about it soon (including my struggles with anxiety and the great rest stops I saw-if you following my Instagram you’ll know this-because I’m nothing if not honest)! But for now, my morning on the water!
When I received my itinerary, it included a jet boat on the Shotover River. Not a peaceful river cruise but a speedboat that makes 360 degree turns in a massive gorge. When I watched the safety videos on all my Qantas flights, it had footage of this outdoor. It is a must do in Queenstown and I was terrified. As I have openly talked about, I have terrible anxiety and have been a chronic worrier since I was very small. I can go from zero to catastrophic pretty quick. I began to panic and thinking of all the ways this would end badly for me. But this whole trip was about becoming braver. So I was determined to do it.
Mother nature seemed to have some other plans. I woke up and it was pouring rain. The Shotover does not run when it’s raining. The boats are very aerodynamic with lots of sciency things and it is not the rain that causes the issue, it is the rise in the water levels. The boats need shallow water. I didn’t know this at the time so I was sad that I had worked myself up to go and now I wouldn’t. But the sun came out! The was not the end of my odyssey!
I arrived at the center to check in and I was the only one signed up. You need 4 people. Now, ordinarily I would panic and take this as a sign that I clearly was not meant to do this. It would end badly…my worrying would kick in. And it did because I am still me. But I strive to live furiously. So I waited and more people signed up! It was back on! We took a shuttle to the river and headed down. You wear a life jacket and slicker. I also recommended sunglasses that will stay on so you can see with water coming at you. As I was there in late fall, I had a hat and gloves too. I’m glad that I did, it was cold. But holy cow, it was awesome! I did have a gentleman, who was nice, say it was ‘different’ that I was traveling solo. Since his wife was too scared to do this and he was solo, I saw the irony versus the insult.
I felt the need, the need for speed! The spins were great! The views even better. It was just so much fun. It lasts about 15-20 minutes but I could have stayed all day. The guide lets you know a bit about the history of the area. The coolest bit was an old gold rush tunnel is now used for white water rafting!
If you are in Queenstown, this Shotover jet is a must!
