Day Seven - final day in Queenstown and the Bungy Jump

Today we had a nice sleep in.   We were thankful for a decent night of undisturbed sleep.

The bathroom in this room is much better albeit rather small; I could at least have a shower properly.    The room is tired and some of the design aspects were not thought out – like the toilet and hand basin with shelving in a strange place!  All a bit tight.

Breakfast was in a different restaurant this morning, so access was not such a mission this morning.     The restaurant was crazy busy, with at least two tour bus loads as well as all the Car Club members.   

After breakfast while Pete packed the car I checked out at Reception.

At 10.30am we had the actual AGM – the only official part of the weekend.    Here we go again – the mission to get to the room.    I made my way down the lift to the staff area to try and work out how to get to the room, which was downstairs, then down a further four steps.   I found a corridor but access appeared to be blocked by two large couches!     So back upstairs.   The Reception was busy with all the guests checking out, so I resorted to asking a Barman in the Lounge Bar to help me.   He was somewhat new but was happy to try and help, along with Brett McWilliams who discovered I seemed to be having trouble.    Back down the lift, the barman and Brett move the couches, and then we found the door was locked from the other side!    So said barman went back up in the lift, down the stairs to the room and opened the door.  We were in – oh but wait there is a problem, there is another four steps down to the room where were meeting in!   Boy this hotel is NOT ACCESSIBLE at all!

Eventually Pete turned up and helped me down!  I was exhausted by this time and pretty stressed.     The AGM was held – took about an hour, with no dramas or controversy.

Pete announced to all present we were off to do the Bungy Jump, and as it was on the way to the lunch venue (Gibbston Winery) he would be keen to have an audience!   Pete had booked for 12 noon.   

The Bungy Jump is about 20 minutes from where were staying so we all jumped into our cars and headed off as we did not have much time to hang around.

At the Bungy Jump we reported to the Jump counter to redeem the voucher.   At this point I was told I could do the jump if I wanted as they catered for disabled jumpers!  Ah NO!   Pete was the jumper.    He duly got kitted out and weighed – yes weighed and the number was written on his hand 114!    Pete was full of bravado and along with about 20 odd club members we headed to the platform to watch.   The venue was undergoing renovations so the disabled viewing platform was closed, so I had to get out of the chair and walked down a few shallow steps – there was plenty of club members ready to help.  Someone commented on the number on Pete’s hand “gosh they pump them through if Pete is number 114” When I told her it was his weight she was gobsmaked!   Granted Pete was wearing jeans with his heavy boots on, so it wasn’t quite as bad as it sounded!

So to the jump – Pete was the only jumper at this time so we all took over the platform to watch.    For the first time in 20 years I saw Pete nervous – we could all see him taking a few deep breathes before jumping.   Jump done!   The obligatory shouts where heard as he went down – all over in a few seconds!      When Pete eventually arrives back up for the long walk up the steps, he reckoned the steps were the killer!    

Pete purchased the photos of the jump which were $45!   The jump would have cost $180, which included a white tee-shirt, but everything else is extra; and boy do they know how to charge!  

Ready!

Here we go!

Wohoo! 

As our flight home was 2.30pm we didn’t have time to go to the club lunch so said our goodbyes and headed off to the airport via the petrol station to fuel up the car.

The airport was frantically busy, but we managed to park the car and get into the terminal in good time.   At check in the first thing the Air NZ lady said “Ah I see you have jumped” - the tell tale number on the hand!    Once checked in and my chair put through the Oversize check in, we proceeded to find something to eat.   

Almost without expectation Airport dining facilities are just ‘factories’ pushing out awful food, even the coffee was pretty bad.   Something that really annoys me, as it is the last thing people remember sometimes – not good.

The flight home was uneventful.

Day Six - First day of the AROC AGM Weekend, Kingston Flyer

Oh dear Room 107 was not a good room!!   Turned out we were right by the facilities so very noisy, and the bed not comfortable so we had an awful sleep.

We had an early start as we need to be ready to go by 8.30am.   Showering was really difficult but worked eventually.    

Once organized, we went to Reception to get our room changed to the fully accessible room 235 before breakfast.   They were happy to do that and said they would move everything for us once we had packed.

Room 235

Bathroom - note how close the toilet is to the hand basin and the shelf beside the toilets - at head height!

The shower - small but worked

Of to breakfast to find we had been moved all the AROC guests downstairs, as the hotel was so full.   Great - the only access for me in the chair was via the Staff access.   I am getting to like this ‘standard’ of access for disabled guests.    And of course it wasn’t exactly a nice area to go through!       Although the breakfast was good (well what Pete gave me, as again I could not get to the food myself as it was down even more stairs!) it was obvious the hotel had 300 to feed this morning – it showed, tables not being reset and the staff appeared really stretched.    I have to say, if I was a tourist paying good dollars, I would have not been impressed.

After breakfast we packed so we could be moved. 

We left the hotel before the rest of the AROC members to get petrol and take photos as we were off to the Kingston Flyer.      A nice windy road and we managed to find a spot by a 30kmph corner so Pete could take photos off all the cars as they went by.  (Photos in a separate Post)  We arrived to find the car park full to busting.   Found a spot and as I got out of the car my mobile rang.   Two of the guys have got lost!   How I don’t know but once the train hooted its horn, they followed the sounds!

The Kingston Flyer is an old steam train running on a small disused train line and is purely a tourist activity.   Run by a private group and very well set up and even had a ramp which just took chair!   We parked the chair at the end of the carriage and took a seat in the first of the First class cubicle on Birdcage Carriage which were described as the ‘Brass and Leather experience’ – it sat 6.  Shared with Murray McCatney, Neil Miller (Auckland members now living in England), Fiona & Bruce.  

First class cubicle on Birdcage Carriage

Fiona and Pete were in and out like yo-yo’s taking photos as we steamed along.   Just over three quarters of the way to the turnaround the train was “held up” by 6 cowboys with ‘guns’ on horseback – absolute scream.   One of the guys cam on board and ‘kidnapped’ the train driver and another came through all the carriages looking for the loot!   The loot was an old suitcase full of Crunchy Bars!     The train was used in the ‘70’s for a famous NZ ad for Crunchy Bars!

The 'bootie'

The Engine Driver captured - he was soooo young!

We then proceed to and stopped at ‘Fairlight’ which was the turnaround point.   Cowboys gave out ‘crunchy bars’ and a few people got to have horse rides!   Bare in mind these people are aged mostly from 50 – 85!!!   All very young at heart.

The Crunchie Scramble!

Fred having his first horse ride in 60 years

By the time the ride was over the weather had turned as we had the first rain since our arrival which was a real pity.    We all headed back to Franklin to the Remarkables Primary School for lunch which was organized by the pupils and staff as a fundraiser. 

This was the venue for the infamous North V South Challenge!   And we were told this was to be Part 1 for the weekend!   A Tug-o-war.  Firstly the guys v guys, then girls v girls, mixed and finally the school pupils made up two teams!   The South thrashed the North!

Once back as the hotel we settled into our Accessible room.  It was much smaller but a much better bathroom!     Hopefully quieter at night and a decent sleep.

Went to the Lobby to use free internet but it ran out really quick, which was most odd.

So downloaded photos and did more blog notes.

As a member of the Executive I had to attend a meeting 4pm, which went quickly and smoothly.

Pre dinner drinks were held in the Lounge Bar.   While the drinks were on Part 2 of the North/South Challenge was on – each team had to name a car make from every letter of the alphabet!     From there we had a Gala dinner in the restaurant where we had breakfast.  Oh joy, another experience at the staff access only area!    This time there was only one seat I could sit at and we had to leave the power chair in the staff area.  So we were stuck in a far corner of a two tiered restaurant.  Such is life.

As the evening proceedings started our esteemed President asked everyone to turn over their side plates as see if there was anything on the under side.     I turned mine over and found a piece of paper with “AJ Hackett” written on it.  Thinking it was part of another Challenge, I ask the others at our table what their side places revealed.  The answers were all ‘Nothing’.     Odd.    Then El Presidente asked who had AJ Hackett, and that’s when we realized I had won a Bungy Jump!    The whole place erupted into laughter – the only disabled person out of 100 wins the bungy!    I have to mention the other prize was two nights at the hotel complimentary!     Talk about laugh!

We had a wonderful night and by the end it was decided Pete would be the jumper!

Alfa Romeo Owners Club AGM Car Photos

Photos of cars taken during the AGM

At Kingston Flyer Stop

This car arrived from Auckland on a trailer as it was only finished the restoration the day before the owner left Auckland!

Andy and Fiona