NOTE: POSSIBLY SOME READERS ARE CONSIDERING A HOLIDAY IN NEW ZEALAND,,,THIS STORY MAY
HELP YOU DECIDE.
EPISODE 743 NEW ZEALAND,,, ANDREW AND ALAN MEET A REAL KIWI…BUNGY JUMP…DISCIPLINED BY POLICE
alan skeoch
feb. 16, 2023
New Zealand surprises: This month our 17 year old grand daughter is touring New Zealand. Back packing and Bus Touring
alone and making new friends along the way cautiously. Decades ago we did the same thing, Carefully most of the time but
not all the time. I am dedicating this Episode to Molly Skeoch whose adventures are yet to be told.
For the sake of other readers I hope the pictures and stories will encourage your travels.
TOURING New Zealand a few years ago
Story 1: We were told it was very unlikely we would ever meet a Kiwi bird. They are nocturnal and their numbers have been reduced
due to the presence of stowaway rats. So it was a big surprise when we were having a beer and sandwich along the way when
a live Kiwi popped out of the brush and tip toed over to see us.
Story #2: New Zealand offers spectacular scenery without the crowds. In this case Marjorie is taking it easy at
the mouth of a South Island glacier. Nobody around but us.
Story #3: How many sheep does it take to disguise a two lane highway for as far as the eye can see? LOTS! Count them. Travellers who are in a rush to get
from point A to point B will be frustrated. We rather enjoyed driving at a sheep’s pace.
Story #4: THE BUNGY JUMP INTO A ROCK STREWN GORGE.
If you look beside Marjorie’s head in this photo you will see a man jumping off a bridge. Suicide? No, this was (is?) the famous
(infamous?) South Island New Zealand Bungy Jump. And the man is our son Andrew doing the death defying jump with an elastic
rope around his feet. The drop is terrifying and each jumper has a guesswork length of rubber band. A wrong guess would be fatal.
“Dad, this is a once only chance. I want to make the jump/“
“You’li smash your head on the rocks below.”
“These guys know the exact length needed to jump and live.”
Andrew jumped and lived needless to say….about a 300 foot free fall before the elastic
rope takes hold and bounces the jumper up and down. A perfect jump happens when the jumper can touch the
water pool below. Andrew made a small splash before he was yanked backwards. Why do young people do this? I have no answer
Story #5: This story is a bit embarrassing. Makes me look like a ‘chancer’…a fool…a rule breaker. We were speeding along an empty
south island highway. totally at ease with Andrew’s feet on the dashboard while I drove . Rental car prohibits young drivers. That was made
clear when we rented. “If violated the car will be taken away….” Which means the young driver and passengers would have to figure
how to get back to Christchurch on their own. No joke.
“Dad, I can drive this stretch of highway. No traffic whatever….except occasional flocks of sheep.”
So we switched divers. Sure enough all went wrong.
“Police car coming towards us….lights flashing….pointing to road shoulder.”
“Quick Andrew, we’ll change drivers….it will take the cop a while to turn around…time
enough for me to get in the drivers’ seat.”
The switch was messy. It looked like we had an octopus in the front seats as we tried the switch…entangle ourselves.
“Damn…damn,,,The cop is right behind us.”
“Must be a sport driver…can wheel around while moving.”
“He saw us doing the change. He knows. We are in big time trouble.”
“Would you mind getting out of your car? Just what were you trying to do…change drivers?”
How old are you son?”
“Seventeen.”
“Are you aware of the driving violation?”
“Yes sir…sorry”
“And you, sir, you are the father. Just what do you do for a living?”
(An odd question)
“I am a teacher.”
“A teacher? Really? And just what do you teach young people?”
“history”
“Well aren’t you a great example for young people. Dangerous driving. Ignoring the law. Trying to
fool a police officer….”
“Sorry about …”
“Are you aware of the penalty?”
“Yes sir…Sorry about….”
At this point the officer chewed me out. Nicely though. He kept bringing up the fact that I was
expected to be an example for young people. Not a law braver. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
He was telling me off so much that I knew he had no intention of going me a ticket and taking the
car away from us. Just too much talk for that.
“Sir, I will let you off. Perhaps next time you will become a better example for your own son.”
And he drove away. Did Marjorie and Andrew think less of me while I was being raked over
the coals by the officer? No they were as relieved as I was that the officer has a sense of humour.,
“Alan, don’’t you dare try to take a picture of the officer.”
“Need it for the story”
“Forget about your stories”
(So there is no proof that this happened except for Andrew’s feet
on the dashboard of the car.)
alan (see below)