I did them all today.
It was a really beautiful day today and Jon phoned from work to say he could take the day of and would Heather like to go to Rotorua to have her ride on the sea plane? WE decided to go for it as she would be very disappointed if we didn't get another clear day. So it was a quick walk out with Totty and off we went.
We arrived in Rotorua and went straight to the lake where Jon and Heather checked in for their 30 minute flight - they also had to be weighed. We then had a coffee and a cake and waited for the plane which was 10 minutes late taking off. I did not fancy it so I was the photographer.
They flew over Mt Tarawera where the volcano erupted in the 1800s and then over some clear blue lakes over Waimangu where we visited a few weeks ago then back over Rotorua and landed very smoothly on the lake. I sat in the sun which was lovely.
We then headed out to a mountain on the other side of the lake where they have a cable car ride to the top and there is then a luge track to come down on to half way down before getting an open chairlift ride back up and then doing it all again. There are three different levels of track and you all have to do the scenic (easy) one first just to get used to the sledge. We had lunch first and then put our bags in a locker before picking out an appropriate helmet - Heather and I small and Jon large - who has a big head then!
The scenic route was very good and a good way of getting a feel for it. Jon and Heather were a long time at the bottom before I got there. When you get to the bottom you have to put your sledge on a belt and then queue for the chair lift. I was OK so far up but it stopped at a particularly high/long drop bit and I really did not like it. After the chair lift I didn't think I wanted to do another run but they persuaded me and off we went on the intermediate and it was such fun. It was by this time getting quite cold coming back up on the chair lift. The third run down I went on the scenic run again and Jon and Heather went on the advanced. I think I got better value for money as mine was a more gentle ride and theirs was short, steep and bendy.
After that it was a quick visit to the shop to buy a magnet to add to our collection and then back down in the cable car again and it felt even steeper going down!
All in all it was a very good day and we all really enjoyed ourselves.
Because we were on the other side of Rotorua to what we usually are we drove back to Tauranga on a road we don't usually go on and which is having major roadworks with lots of rock blasting which was interesting to see.
Back home Heather and I cooked chicken and pasta bake and we lit the fire and had a cosy evening in watching the F Word.
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