Day 157: The Fear Fun Factory

21 December 2010

Caveat: Although we are raising money for three fantastic charities: MacMillan Nurses, The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and the Fire Fighters Charity, we are also trying to make this loads of fun. Plus 100% of all money raised goes to the charities as this trip is self funded.

Fun: enjoyment, amusement, or light-hearted pleasure.

Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

If you wanted to pick somewhere for the extremes of both of the above emotions, the best place in world is Queenstown. My name is Chris Hallward, I have vertigo and this is my story.

0715hrs: Alarm rings I’m awake. What is the safety record? Will I be able to deal with the relentless barracking if I fail?

0900hr: White water rafting is cancelled due to high river levels – 120 cumecs per second. Will it be cancelled due to high water? No. How many people bottle it? Why am I doing this?

1115hrs: Shotover Jet boating for the whole team instead of rafting. Loads of thrills through the amazing Shotover River canyon. Old people do it, why wouldn’t I be able to? Will Kate think less of me if I don’t do it? How high is it?

1320hrs: Why is time going so quickly? Be my friend, relax. The beefy bus driver picks us up and some of my questions start to be answered and more unwanted and spiteful facts are told. One in 250 bottle it, 134m, 8 second free fall and yes the barracking will be relentless as it has already started.

1403hrs: After a ropey little drive up a stone road, which is scary enough for me, I see it for the first time, a horrendous looking pod suspended 134m across what looks like a little stream. The Nevis bungy. The only means of getting there is a miniscule gondola which fits 5 people. It’s pretty efficient from here on in – toilet – harness on – weigh in (I’ve put on 2kgs) – gondola.

1427hrs: BLIND FEAR. Steve is talking, but I don’t hear anything, I’m just looking at his big face as he rips into me. He is feeding off my misery. Again, it is all very serious and efficient – shackles on – in the chair – instructions – shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. Don’t look down, don’t look down. Look at the camera, look at the other camera. I feel limp like my bones are have melted. My heart is pumping fear. 1….2….3….

1429hrs: FUN. Rushing. It’s over and I can enjoy life once more.

The heady mix of half a day of fear followed by an intense rush is epic and if you can push yourself to that point you will enjoy it……afterwards.

Steve also had a go, annoyingly making the whole thing look like he is jumping of the kerb.

Later on that day we head to do some canyon swinging which Amy, Steve, Jamie, Kate A and I do. I now think I am the boy having already done a big jump and swagger on down the biggest canyon swing in the world. However, when I get there I experience the fear fun factory once more. The canyon swing is a different prospect to a bungy, it’s still a terrifying jump and 60m free fall but you can do some different funky jumps and the two Scottish lads do an immense job scaring you before you jump. We all did different jumps, but I think the funniest are the Binladen (bundled off with a bin on your head) done by Steve and the Chair (off backwards sitting on a chair) done by Kate A – check out the video VERY FUNNY.

So off for some food, bed and only one more jump to go tomorrow as we head out of town to keep Steve happy.

Big ups to AJ Hackett and Canyonswing in Queenstown for being AWESOME.

Love

Chris

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