Checking it out - The Bucket List

As you may well know, Duncan and I wrote our bucket lists for this New Years Eve. Duncan got the exercise off with a bang by declaring he wanted to play - at least one song -  on the saxophone! He has another mind boggling item on the list - an alcohol free month, but this is probably in tandem with the desire to do the Gold Coast Half Marathon within 2 hours 10 mins. Which is probably related to another item on Duncan's Bucket list - to get his knee looked at. He also wants to play golf at 5 overseas venues and to visit Vanuatu. So although we had some travel items the same there were some of my list which Duncan does not share enthusiasm for. One is to go down the Rere rockslide. I am enlisting the help of my grandchildren, and hope to accomplish this next Christmas. On Monday, after staining all our outdoor furniture and trimming the hedges we went out to Rere to Investigate.

This is Rere Falls  - very pretty - just up the road from the rockslide.

There are two passage ways down - one on the left, and one on the right. The pool is quite deep and I will have to practice up my swimming again.

The big tyres are one way of getting down. Others include body boards, but they really get up some speed and catapult you into the pool at the bottom - one guy even managed to stand up on his board! The problem with body boards is than sometimes you lose your grip on them and you end up going down on your tummy. I will definitely be looking for something to grip onto.
So now I have replaced the fear of the unknown with the fear of the actual act. Jill has suggested I practise on the hydroslide. It was gratifying to see that larger people - or two people on the same mattress or tyre went slower than little light people.
There were some guys - Devin Super Tramp and Fun for Loius - from America making videos for U Tube there too.

Other items on my Bucket list include a hot air balloon ride, WOW (world of wearable arts), a road trip to Ngawi - its the journey, not the destination that I am interested in. I also want a food and wine trip to Tasmania, watch the Black Caps overseas - preferably India,  And one last proper tramp with the girls.

Shared ideas were: one last trip to Europe, hopefully combining a few of the destinations we want to go to. A trip to the Galapagos Islands, the Train trip from Wellington to Auckland, and a carvanning holiday in the South Islands

So lots to look forward to and prepare for. We'll review each year and may make some changes.