"I would have paid the price of the trip for this ONE flight, now the rest are free," exclaimed Stephanie Subak after a personal record 27-minute soaring flight over the hills surrounding Queenstown. Four other pilots also broke personal best records of time duration or cross-country. What a start! All this only hours after arriving in the country.

We joined Mike Eberle of North American Paragliding, Inc. for his return trip to New Zealand, and it was "No worries, mate" throughout the tour, as the six of us learned, experiencing some of the best flying of our lives. As Jeff Duenwald repeatedly claimed, "The tour could not have been any better!"

Everyone arrived February 18th, a sunny day down under. We left the snow and ice of the northwest's winter and the endless days of no flying, and we were anxious to get into southern hemisphere skies. "Ask and you shall receive..." Eberle, along with Simon (our kiwi driver Mike had hired), drove us out to Crown Terrace for this introductory flight. Within minutes we had all launched and were soaring the endless lift. During the flights, some of us were guided on a 14 kilometer round trip x-country to Arrowtown, while the rest worked on perfecting their soaring skills above launch.

Each day began typically at 8 a.m. with a quick gondola ride and a short hike to 2,000 ft. above Queenstown. This was a special treat for us as we were able to walk out the door of our condo and be flying in less than half an hour. It was usually the quietest time of our day as we launched a most relaxing warm-up flight. From the landing zone, a grade-school cricket field, we would stroll through town, each of us seeking the ultimate pilot's breakfast. Mince meat pies, latte's served in a soup-sized mug, or a fruit smoothie and killer muffin -- the group was definitely gastronomically divided!

From here a day would take us in any number of directions. We flew 13 out of 15 days and hit 11 different sites. The weather was outrageous and the choices endless. How about a helicopter ride to Bowen Mountain where we caught a thermal that took us 2,000 ft. above launch to cloudbase?! At that point it was only a matter of how far Lowell Skoog and Simon would get as they headed for the north end of Lake Wakatipu. One hour and forty-five minutes later Lowell landed at Moke Lake. Simon flew on and made the first ever flight to the town of Glenorchy, a distance of 24 kilometers.

Another choice involved a quick drive up to Lake Wanaka to fly the infamous Treble Cone and soar above the 650 ft. Twin Falls. Definitely the most spectacular site flown, Treble Cone won the hearts of all. A close second would have to be the 8 p.m. flights off the aptly named Remarkables. The pilots enjoyed the strenuous hike up the mountainside which lead them to a spectacular 20-minute sunset sled ride overlooking Lake Wakatipu. Of course our biggest thrill was our full day maneuvers seminar above the lake. Each of us tested our skills and wings with plenty of maneuvers, including full stall and flat spins, and no one got wet!

Finally, we were dealt a day unsuitable for flying. After such an extended high we began to wonder what we could possibly do with our time that would ever begin to keep our attention. Never fear! Mike was well prepared for just such an occurrence. He loaded us into the van and drove us down an extensive canyon on a most terrifying one-lane dirt road, but it was only a preview of what was ahead. We finally arrived at a thin wooden bridge gently swaying more than 300 feet above a narrow, clear, shallow river. Yes! The A. J. Hackett School of Bungee! Barry Barr, cool, calm, and collected, was the first off as he was an old hand at it. I was the next victim and had to have my fingers pried from the rail before I would approach the brink. Even then it took several minutes and countdowns before I could launch myself into the air attached not to my wing, but to a single rubber band. No question, it was the most horrifying experience of my life! Everyone else made the jump, and the return trip up the hairy track went unnoticed as we excitedly babbled about our experiences.

A few more days of flying, a jet boat excursion, and a day of river surfing rounded out our New Zealand adventure. Unanimously, we thank Mike Eberle for our once in a lifetime experience. He did a fantastic job organizing and running the entire trip. Bill Armstrong deserves complete credit for recording almost all of our waking, and at times, embarrassing moments on video, now etched on tape forever. "GOOD ON YA, MATES!!!" 

About the Author:
Diane Sheffield is a 32-year old fisheries biologist, living and working in the Cascade Mountains of North Central Washington. She learned to fly during the summer of 1990 and currently has 200+ flights. Diane's participation in this New Zealand tour enabled her to break personal records of time aloft, highest altitude gain, and cross-country distance. Additionally, she doubled her airtime during the 15-day tour. When she's not flying her Flight Design SX, you can find Diane diving the South Pacific, cycling the Canadian Rockies, or, more often, backcountry skiing outside her own back door.