(G): Finally the bitter heartache of the Queenstown white-water rafting non-event has been eased. No one felt this pain more keenly, or more relished the idea of splashing around in an ice-cold mountain river than Adventure Boy Lloyd, who immediately upon stepping into the raft assumed the role of Vice-Captain.
“Let’s keep time. One. Two. One. Two.” Urged the new V-C
“Let’s not.” Countered the real Captain, pulling rank. “I’ll call the strokes. You listen.”
Then, to brighten up his little dejected face: “But you can go at the front, since you’re so keen.”
Order restored and morale recovered, we plunged headlong downstream into the churning, chalky-green river. It seemed like only a few exhilarating and turbulent minutes later the Captain was telling us we were approaching the final rapids and it just wouldn’t be rafting if we didn’t flip the boat. So, two seconds later I found myself flailing around under the water, wondering which was up and whether it would be an awfully long time before I could breathe again. Thankfully it wasn’t, and Paco was close at hand with his rescue kayak for me to grab on to.
It was awesome fun and all over much too soon, so we’ll just have to nip over to Queenstown to try it again.
(L): Keen! Keen? The captain moved me because my extensive rafting experience was obviously apparent in my oar-play (if that’s the technical term). And also perhaps because Michael the German, who started at the front, was the most hopeless oarsman one could imagine. Despite extensive tuition and encouragement, the poor chap appeared to be physically unable to lift the oar away from his body, let alone move it through the water.
It was a mixed blessing being at the front. Although I had a good view, this was often simply a drop of several metres into the hole (that *is* a technical term). And holes were bad; it was very difficult to keep stroke when the oar kept hitting air instead of water… and of course Paul and I, as the stroke setters, got the blame when it all went wrong. Nonetheless, we didn’t flip the raft at all during our decent through the rapids, which was a rafting first for me.
The deliberate flip of the raft at the end reminded me why flipping is to be avoided… It was a lovely sunny day though, so we all dried off and got warm pretty quickly, and wanted to do the whole thing again 
