Anseth Family Adventures: Might as Well Jump or Jump Around

Thursday, January 9th 2025 started out slow. Beverly our driver picked us up at 8:50. Her task was to get us to Rotorua in one piece. We had one stop before we left Auckland and that was bungee jumping off the Auckland Harbor Bridge.

I am not sure when Ashley became an adrenaline junkie but this was her only real request for this trip. I am not sure when I stopped trying to be Dave Cortez (MTV reference) and became David Spade (SNL reference). Unfortunately that is where we are at in 2025. Bev got us over to AJ Hackett Bungee Jumping Auckland. After a brief safety meeting a young lady, who told me she had never done this before, fitted me with my harness. Obviously, I liked her right away. The girls were fitted for their harness. We signed the obligatory waiver saying this is a weird and not advisable activity so you can sue us and we were off to jump.

The local told me if you're willing to bungee naked it was free. I asked several people along the way about this and the answer are as follows:

“Not for you”

“We quit doing that 17 years ago”

“No one wants you naked including the bungee”

“Mr. Anseth, please put your clothes on”

Once that was settled, it was off to jump

The Auckland Harbor Bridge

The harbor

Do I need to watch out for these boats?

Sitting with Bev the driver, contemplating their decisions

On a the steps up to jump

This is high enough. I am smiling right?!?!?

Ashley is getting buckled in

Katie is getting buckled in.

In the all Blacks we trust.

Auckland from the jump pass.

Let’s get ready

Time to jump?

One last fit check!!

Katie is about to “Jump Around”

That feeling you get when you think the bungee is gonna pull you off the platform.

Jump!!

Jump up!!

Jump up and get down!!

Hang in there Tiger!!!

Katie, upside down for the moment!

Ashley, just hanging out!!

That is my rebound up

Getting reeled back in!!

Again!?!?!?

I will just hang out here now bring me up.

Safe and Sound what a rush.

I still can’t import videos to the blog, but check my insta later and they will be up

Walking back down the bridge

Ashley and Katie, you are best friends!

After that it was up to Bev, the driver, to get us from Auckland to Rotorua over the next 2-3 hours. The girls hopped in the back of the van to nap or check their phones. I took a few pictures along the way and engaged Bev in discussion. She is very proud of New Zealand and she is very proud to be a New Zealander.

The old post office in Auckland. Now it is a pub.

Beautiful home with French terraces in Auckland.

The countryside as we head to Rotorua

Māori totems along the road. According to Bev this is a location where the Māori battle the British in the 1800s

The town of Tirau. They love corrugated metal buildings

Another view of the gift shop and coffee shop. Yes they look like sheep.

The bakery

More corrugated metal.

Inside the info center which is a corrugated sheep dog.

The tree lined road from Tirau to Rotorua.

On the drive Bev and I discussed the following:

1. Māori tribe and the their recent kings funeral

2. Gold syrup, an amber colored inverted sugar syrup great for baking

3. Auckland has the worlds largest marina

4. 1 in 3 people in NZ have a boat.

5. 1 in 3 people in NZ have a dog

6. Cruise ships need to bescrubbed in Sydney before entering Auckland harbor to protect the biodiversity of NZ

7. Merino wool is awesome. Way more awesome than cheap China wool

8. Hokey Pokey ice cream is a NZ thing. It has little crispy bits in it and it is awesome.

9. North island is known for Sauvingnon Blanc. There is some bit in here about Croatian immigrants making port wines but they were getting taxed to much and they switched to table wines. Also the first vines were smuggled in.

10. South Island is known for Pinot noir

11. Supercar racing is a big thing

12. Possum are a problem and NZ are trying to kill them but if you add their fur to merino wool, it makes awesome socks

13. Manuka honey!!!! GMO higher number more antibacterial

14. Greyhound racing is getting banned. The dogs are treated cruelly

15. NZ breeds awesome race horses so horse racing fine.

16. NZ has awesome olive trees but doesn’t export olive oil, yet.

17. The NZ government’s energy policies have been foolish and short sighted.

Once we got to Rotorua, we checked in at the Pullman Hotel and I decided to go walking about.