Taupo: An Adventure of Field Friends

As a child, whenever I was sad or in a particularly bad situation, my mom would always tell me a story of Squirrelly. Squirrelly the Squirrel always seemed to go through the same situations as I was suffering, alongside with her friend Chippy the Chipmunk. Squirrelly and Chippy never quite knew the right decision, but eventually they always made it out of the bad situation they were in and lived happily ever after. On the first night we arrived in Taupo (or rather, 3AM), we were so wound up with excitement that no one could sleep. Lara asked me to tell a story, a bed time story from one 20 year old to three others (sorry, Chris is 21), so obviously I reverted back to Squirrelly. No one could have predicted that this past weekend's events were going to be told in this style, but it happened. Every night we had a recap of the day's events (mostly to get Lara to sleep...) so I figured I would share it with you. Let me introduce the main characters.

Squirrelly the Squirrel

Carrot-Top the Rabbit

Chippy the Chipmunk

Sheepy the Sheep

The Field Mouse: Pikachu

When the Field Friends boarded the bus on Friday night at 9PM, they had had a very tiresome day. Friday was filled with uncomfortable conversations, anxiety over final presentations, completion of final presentations, a geology lecture, a sociology lecture, and two previous bus rides. The Field Friends were giddy with the possibilities the weekend had before them but were plain ol' exhausted. Once aboard the bus, they found that it was a bus for dwarves! No one knew that a bus could hold so many seats, so close together, and still be legal to service large Field Friends (FF)! The FF also did not know that the bus ride was going to take 5 1/3 hours instead of the expected 3. When the FF arrived in Taupo at 2:30AM, they were even more exhausted than they had been before! They stumbled down the streets in search of Taupo Urban hostel, until they finally found their destination. 30 minutes of waking-up-the-attendent-and-paying-downpayments later, the FF finally collapsed on their beds. Chippy, Squirrelly, Sheepy, and Carrot-Top shared a room and had trouble going to sleep, as they were all very wound up with excitement for the next day.


The next morning arrived and the FF woke up to a sky full of big, white puffy clouds. The FF were all very nervous for their day's adventure: Sheepy and Carrot-Top were off to brave the cliff and Bungy, while Chippy and Squirrelly were set on braving the sky and Skydiving. They said their nervous goodbyes and set off on their different journeys for the day.

Chippy and Squirrelly and their friend, the Field Mouse: Pikachu, set off to Taupo Tandem Skydiving. They arrived at the site with the idea to jump from the altitude of 12,000 ft. After some amazing sales-work from one of TTS's finest, Chippy decided he wanted to take the 15,000 ft plunge. Taupo is the only place in the work that you can dive from this height! Chippy was very excited. Squirrelly thought that she and Pikachu should also take this plunge, but Pikachu nervously resisted. They talked and talked until the three FF agreed, they must do the highest jump they could. So they decided, and then they waited for their names to be called.

Meanwhile, Sheepy and Carrot-Top and their other FF all went to the local canyon to jump off the side. Sheepy bravely went first, and giggled/ screamed the whole way down. She even plunged into the water all the way up to her waist! Even with her wet wool, she had an amazing time. Carrot-Top went with another FF (Lauren, who will make appearances in my Sydney posts), and after a few minutes of mental mantras and deep breaths, they too took the plunge, screaming all the way down to the river. All the bungy FF had an amazing time, and left the canyon with time to do more fun things! They went exploring a place called Craters of the Moon, a geothermal field that looks like the moon. They also went to Huka falls and explored a geothermal stream and soaked in it!

BUNGY

Unsuspecting Field Friends awaiting disappointment

Back at TTS, Chippy Squirrelly and Pikachu waited. And waited. Hours went by. Finally after 5 hours, the people at TTS had horrible news: they were canceling the jumps due to weather. The FF were devastated. They had all been looking forward to this for a long time, and although they rescheduled for Monday, they had wasted a whole day waiting around. Plus they had to take off their super flattering harnessess and jumpsuits, which was depressing enough alone.

That night, all of the FF met up for dinner to discuss the day's events. Chippy, Squirrelly, and Pikachu were dissapointed but filled with resolve and determination to go back on Monday and conquer the sky. In the meantime, the group rested up to prepare for the next adventure: the Tongariro Crossing.

Sunday morning, 5:30AM, Chippy's alarm woke all the Field Friends. They all geared up, ate some breakfast, got some coffee from Carrot-top's "House Blend" (instant coffee, sugar, and ovaltine pre-mixed). All aboard the Tongariro Adventure bus, which ALSO seemed to be designed for dwarves, and off to the crossing! The hike began with the Devil's Staircase, which is exactly what you are imagining. That was hell. This was the part in the excursion where Squirrelly's intermonologue went as such, "Why am I doing this? I like hiking in theory, not in practice. Oh my god, my heart is going to explode out of my chest. I can't breath. This is death. Hiking is death" but then the endorphines came and Squirrelly felt GREAT. The rest of the hike had its ups and downs (literally... HA) and the FF had 7 hours of muscle-burning greatness. They all limped home and went to the hot springs for some rehab and relaxation. 

The group getting ready to set out on the epic journey

Kiwis have designated areas to beat each other...

Look its Mt. Doom!

Monday morning brought back the anxiety of skydiving for Squirrelly, Chippy, and Pikachu. They waited at the hostel, waited and waited through two cancelations from TTS, until finally a nice Swedish woman came to pick up the FF. They suited up for take 2 and waited a little more. Eventually, they went up in the plane and jumped (see next post about skydiving). Squirrelly, Chippy, and Pikachu left TTS happy and full of adrenaline. They met the rest of their FF and boarded the bus-for-midgets for the ride back to Auckland.

Field Friends!! (minus Pikachu)