Gravity, thou art a cruel mistress! Yesterday, I felt inclined to strap myself into a menagerie of pulleys and elastic bands to confuse and confound the law of gravity. At the Mokai Gravity Canyon, I did the gravity swing, an 80m pendulum experience where I was seated into a harness similar to the abseiling one used at the Waitomo Caves. When I was securely hanging *ahem* above the 80m chasm below, the highly qualified professional with the pink mohawk and multiple piercings I’d entrusted my wellbeing to said, “See you later,” and my guts were in my throat blocking the screams that my lungs demanded. I felt like I was in a high speed elevator with no floor.
Not content with narrowly escaping Death’s bony grasp just once, I signed up for the Flying Fox. The Fox is a 1 km zip line where riders can reach speeds in excess of 160 km/h. I eagerly climbed inside the harness for this one, noting the extra padding. It looked like the lead shield medical professionals put over your vital organs before shooting your brain with deadly X-rays. I assumed this harness was also for protection. Next, I was fitted with stylish Terminator glasses to protect my rugged good looks. Of course the natural thing to do is go face first. Whee!
