GONDOLA RIDE TO SKYLINE ROTORUA
I was trying my best to hide my disappointment that I would be going alone to Skyline Rotorua. I decided to join this preconference activity in the hopes that I would meet other conference participants and I would make a few friends. I consider myself an introvert, so it takes a lot for me to socialize, make meaningful connections, and create new friendships. But given the proper situation and opportunity, I can be social and friendly. I thought going to an adventure park would provide both the situation and opportunities.
The organizer of the event told me that I was going alone because no one else had signed up for the activity. I didn't realize that most of the participants would be locals and maybe they'd already been to the place or that people would decide to not pay for the experience since part of the program of the conference was a dinner at the restaurant of Skyline Rotorua.
Anyway, there was nothing else to do but go up there by myself. The organizer booked an Uber for me and I said goodbye to my friend. I was alone again. In a foreign country. This isn't the first time that this happened, and I knew it was going to be tiring and could be lonely sometimes.
The Uber arrived and the driver and I exchanged a few words before we headed out. The weather was gloomy and it looked like it was going to rain any second. I only had a sweater on and a pair of shorts. Even inside the car, I was already shivering.
I steeled myself. I am going on a fun adventure, I told myself. The ticket I purchased included a cable car ride and 5 luge rides down the slopes of Mt. Ngongotaha. I've never been on a luge ride before. The closest thing I've been to was a mountain coaster ride in Dhilayan, Bukidnon. I also went there by myself. That should count as prior experience.
The cable car brought me high up and Rotorua was down below, flat and looking more like a sleepy town than a tourist city. My view wasn't the Central Business District (CBD), but the city still lacked high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. It was the perfect city for people who enjoy the slow and relaxed life of the countryside but still have all the necessities nearby.
Embracing the city was the great lake. I could understand how the lake brought people together and formed this city. Bodies of water draw people in. But Rotorua Lake is rich in sulfur. If you came near it, you could smell its strong smell. It drew people in but only up to its edges. The entire lake is a caldera, a result of a volcanic eruption. The volcano can still erupt, but it doesn't stop people from living in Rotorua. "The worse could not happen during my lifetime." I could imagine having this belief if I lived here.
I reached the top, and I was happy to see that the place was free from crowds. It just opened and there were only a few people around. I saw a tourist setting a tripod to take a picture of herself with the Rotovegas sign behind her. I offered to take her picture so that I could also ask her to take my photo.
SKYLINE LUGE RIDES
The main attraction in Skyline Rotorua is its Luge Rides. It's where the world's first luge track was actually built. A luge is a car that you can ride down the slopes of a mountain. It has a brake and steering bar that you can use to navigate the tracks. The Skyline Luge had 5 tracks and my ticket gave me 5 rides. I planned on going through each of the different tracks.
I grabbed a helmet that fit my head and headed for the entrance of the ride. The staff looked quite young, and I'm quite sure they're still students. One of them asked me to sit on a luge before giving a short lecture and demo on how to use the break and the steering handle. I was good to go and I chose the beginner track as my first.
I was quite slow for my first luge ride because I was afraid I would bump into the obstacles or lose control during my turns. I could still feel the cold air against my face and my hands. The adrenaline was warming me up. There were a lot of turns and forks and I had to slow down in choosing which turn to make to stay on the track that I chose.
I reached the end of the track and I was pumped to go again. To return to the starting point, I had to get on a moving chair lift with my cart hanging from a hook below the chair. The chair lift ride was scarier than the luge ride. There was a bar that kept me on my seat but I could see down below how far the fall was going to be. It was also a very cold ride back up to the mountain.
It was time for my second ride! The staff gave me another short rundown of how to drive the luge cart. I realized that some of the tracks were still closed. I chose my next track and off I went. I tried to be faster this time, but I also intentionally slowed down in some parts because I wanted to enjoy the view. There still weren't a lot of tourists but I've had other luge riders overtake me. I just let them and focused more on my own ride.
My second ride was less scary, but it still fueled my adrenaline. My second chair lift ride was also less scary. I got to enjoy the view from above more, although it was still a very cold ride. By the time I reached the top, a crowd of tourists had filled the place. I decided to take my time before going on my last three rides.
All around the tracks, there were actually cameras that took your photo when you passed by them. The photos are saved and you are able to view them by scanning the RF card on the side of your helmet, and monitors lined near the entrance would show the photos. You can choose which one you liked to be printed or sent to your email for a price.
I wasn't satisfied with my photos, so I decided to be more aware of the cameras during my next rides. I lined up for my next rides and the staff didn't give me instructions anymore. The other tracks were also opened. I hopped into the cart and chose the scenic track. It was probably the longest and slowest slide. It cut through the forest and even had an area where you could park your cart. I pulled up my cart and stepped out. I found myself in the Hidden Forest Venue. There were tents and cabins that people could stay in.
After a few minutes, I went back to my cart and restarted my ride. I reached the bottom and took another chair lift ride. By this time, I was fully enjoying the ride and I wasn't scared anymore. I also saw a lot of riders zoom through the tracks below as the lift brought me back up.
For my two last rides, I chose the more challenging tracks. I was quite confident with my luge driving skills, so I decided to be more daring. I drove faster, made sharp turns, overtook slow riders, didn't apply as much brakes as my previous rides, zoomed through tunnels, and smiled more for the cameras.
By the end of my fifth ride, I was quite satisfied with my time and I even had a decent photo on the track. I paid for it and had it sent to my email.
NATURE TRAILS
By this time, the place was already packed with tourists. There was a long queue for the luge rides. The big Skyswing was already open, and their restaurant was serving food. I decided to look around and see what else I could do. I saw a sign that tourists could also go on their Nature Trails. My friend told me that they had Cherry Blossoms.
I took a picture of the map and followed it. It brought to a part of the mountain that was full of flowers with an amazing of the city and the lake. I took the Cherry Blossom walk but sadly, the trees were not in bloom.
I wrote a previous post about my Nature Walk in the Mountain. You can check it out here.
I was done with the place around lunchtime, but it felt like I spent an entire day already. I still had to meet my friend, so I decided to leave. I would have stayed longer and enjoyed the place the entire afternoon.
I started out trying to hide my disappointment but in the end, I couldn't hide my satisfaction and delight after spending half my day in Skyline Rotorua by myself.
That's it! This is the morning of my first day in NZ. There's so much that happened after this and I hope to share them all here with you. See you in the next one. Cheers!
