On Sunday, we arrived at the Blue Mountain Adventure Center; also known as BMAC. We took a day to settle in and hang out, but the next 5 days were fully packed with shenanigans. We started our first activities at 8:30 the following morning with group problem solving and teamwork games out on the lawn. That afternoon, we went caving about a 10 minute drive away.
We split into two groups and set off into the depths of the cave. The two groups met up at random intervals throughout to check in and listen to our guides talk about the caves. Near the end, one of the groups was told by their guide to find their own way back. Luckily after about 20 minutes the rest of us surfaced at the mouth of the cave.
The next day, the group was split in half once again to do the high ropes course at BMAC, and mountain biking. The morning biking group faced a steeper challenge, as the trail was majority uphill throughout the entire ride. The ropes course challenged people mentally, physically, and emotionally, but everyone partook in it. The next day, we started off by teaming up with a partner and setting of via canoe into an incredibly scenic lake. We had a super intense race won by Bennett and Maggie (to nobody’s surprise). However, the first to make it back to the base were the unassuming underdogs, Amy and Conrad.
That afternoon, we went abseiling; essentially lowering ourselves down a cliff while only making contact with our feet. However the arduous hike back down to the vehicles made the abseiling look like a walk in the park; it was so steep it was almost vertical, dense with bush and spiky trees, and littered with hidden patches of slippery mud. The following day, we set of on a whitewater rafting adventure. Before the group had finished its orientation, the boat manned by Blake, Amy, and Andrew started to float off right towards the first rapid. Panicked, they proceeded down the rapids backwards. The trip down the river was incredibly beautiful, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and we were surrounded by a vast jungle. It was all fun and games until the BMAC guide, Dan, tossed Sarah overboard.
The next day, we had commenced with the BMAC program, so we went to hike Mt. Ngauruhoe, also known as Mt. Doom for all you Lord of the Rings fans. As we ascended, the conditions worsened. It was considerably colder, steeper, and foggier. At the point where we turned around, we could only see 20 feet around us. We would have been helpless if not for Jason’s zigzagging technique, which helped us scale the mountain more efficiently. We reached the bottom exhausted, satisfied, and ready to take glorious power naps down at BMAC. On Monday, we set off for a Maori village and farm, also known as a Marae where we will be for the next week.
We miss and love you all.
Go Hawks.
-Amy and Bennett