We jumped 43 meters off a bridge today!

That's right...our first ever bungy jump off the original Kawarau Bridge! We both dove 43 meters (~132 feet) over the river. It was an incredible rush, if there are words to describe the feeling! We had been talking about doing it over the last couple of days as Queenstown is host to the first commercial bungy jumping site in the world (and is an outdoor adventurer's paradise with a myriad of other extreme sports at one's fingertips). Andy was seemingly a bit more nervous than I was as we talked about it on our hike above town this morning. We took a gondola up into the mountains and enjoyed beautiful panoramic views of the area. Though when I approached the dock (ladies first of course) my heart was beating out of my chest! As the guy wrapped towels around my ankles he was making jokes left and right and I replied, "Fine, as long as you know how to tie those damn cords properly." As I inched out towards the ledge I was having second thoughts, but I knew there was no turning back so after a fake jump (got scared), I just went for it, swan-dive style. What a RUSH! Time suddenly slowed down and the excitement finally set in mid-flight, climaxing as my arms and head dipped into the water. You're in luck as we videoed it - click here to see Stacy's Jump (coming soon, it takes forever to download these things). And of course, who can forget the window-roller-upper Andy and his jump? Good times!

Queenstown is a beautiful place. It's actually nice to be back in civilization for a few days. We went out to dinner last night at this great restaurant down on the waterfront with unparalleled views of the river, alpine trees and the distant mountains aptly named "The Remarkables." Since we are just a few days into fall there is no snow on the mountaintops just yet, but I can only imagine the profound beauty the city affords in the wintertime. There is no shortage of cold here though! The sunny days are warm, but as soon as the sun disappears...brrrr. We are sleeping in a cabin instead of our trusty tent tonight so I won't have to sleep with a beanie. So yes, back to dinner...we enjoyed Sapphire & tonics with pumpkin potato soup and crusty bread to start. Then this unique pear and Parmesan tart that literally melted in our mouths. For the entree, lamb of course with garlic mashed, baby zucchini and escargot. Ice cream cones for dessert. Oh my gosh I am starving right now, it is clearly time for dinner! It was very nice to treat ourselves to a delicious night out since we cook the majority of the time.

What else have we done since Andy last wrote? Let's see...we visited the neighboring Fox Glacier after Franz Joseph which was equally as breathtaking. The sun decided to pop out as we hiked towards it, glistening bright blue. We took a side trip to Lake Matheson in hopes to catch a glimpse of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman in the distance. As we approached the lake we looked behind us and lo and behold the bright mountain peaks darted into the sky with the sun pouring down overhead! It quickly shrouded back over with clouds and we were pleased to have captured some hi-res photos for a future wall hanging. The rain came, so we decided to head south. Did you know it rains 80% of the time on the west coast of the south island?! It was truly a gift to be able to see those awe-inspiring mountain peaks if only for a moment.