. (EXCLAIMS) Yeah! (LAUGHS) (GASPS) Oh my goodness! I feel hydrated from the outside in. BOTH EXCLAIM UPBEAT MUSIC Captions by Antony Vlug. Edited by Desney Shaw. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016 K, where's it gonna be? Where's it gonna be? I don't know. Whoo-hoo. No kids ` here we go. OK. What do you reckon? All right, here we go. Drum roll, please. (GASPS) Rotorua. Nice. Actually, that's really cool. Yay. I'm really looking forward to that ` little weekend with you. Lakes,... Yeah. ...steam, maybe a bit of mud. Yeah. Yeah? Do you reckon? Choice. Let's do it. OK. (CHUCKLES) This might seem kinda hilarious, but I think I've been trying to get Hamish away for a weekend for about the last four years, so this is 100% treat. I've got my man to myself, and we get to explore together. 'I can't wait to get away on this trip. I'm really looking forward to it. 'Off the top of my head, I can't remember the last time that we hung out just the two of us.' All right. < Good morning. How are you? Hi, there. Good thanks. 'Hamish and I met at work. We met making television. We decided to get married 16 years ago.' Thank you. You have a good flight. Thanks very much. 'But since we've had kids, our focus has been on raising a family.' UPBEAT MUSIC 'It's been busy and beautiful, but we haven't had heaps of time for each other. 'I feel like we might get to recapture that time before we had kids, 'when it was just the two of us. 'I'm really excited about exploring Rotorua as a couple. I'm a kid in a candy store.' WOMAN: Good morning. Morning. Morning. < How are you? Very good. Thank you. Very good. Good. We're escaping from our children for the weekend. Have you got a car... Yes, I have indeed. (LAUGHS) ...we can use? OK, here we go. 'Rotorua has always been a tourist destination for as long as it's existed.' Rotorua, here we come. (LAUGHS) 'So what does Rotorua have in store now for us?' All right, just ease off the power for a minute, cos look at what I've got here. (LAUGHS) We better figure out if we're going the right way. The envelope of happiness. OK, here we go. Head to K-Jets on Rotorua's scenic lakeside to start your experience with the best view in town. Ooh. Just try and keep your feet dry. What do you reckon ` spa treatment? K-Jets ` it's jetboat; it's gotta be. I reckon. Mm-hm. ACTION MUSIC Kia ora, guys. Welcome to Rotorua. I'm Tony, your instructor. Hey, Tony. What we're gonna do today, guys, is we're actually gonna take you out on to Lake Rotorua and do a parasailing flight. Awesome. It'll take you up to about 400ft in the air, so you're gonna have a wonderful view of the lake and have a great view of the surrounding area. Cool. All keen? Can't wait. Wonderful. Follow me. 'The idea of being suspended under a parachute in the air with Hamish ` that's kinda cool.' All righty. I'm ready for action! I'm not quite. # Take me up. Take me up higher. # Do you` Do you know how high it is ` 400ft? Nah, how high is that? It's pretty high. 131m, I believe. Nah. Yeah, all right, all right, all right. OK. Guys, you amped? You ready? Yes, yes. OK, let's get into it. Yes, I'm ready. Well, just grab a seat down there on the right-hand side. Yes, I'm ready. Yes, I'm ready. Yes, I'm ready. You're good. You're good. You're with me. I'll keep you safe. I'm ready. I can do this. (LAUGHS) Is the trickiest bit taking off or landing? The most important part of the entire experience ` I say to everyone ` is get to the point where you can relax and enjoy it. The first two minutes, once you realise you're not going to die, uh, it actually becomes extremely peaceful. All right. It's the serenity. > OK. The serenity. > (LAUGHS) So we crap ourselves briefly and then have fun? Then we have the serenity. Good luck, baby. OK. Just gonna come right round the back. That's it. Move over to the left-hand side. Place your arms up on the bar. These ropes and everything, they're all...? They're all good. They're all attached? Good to fly. (LAUGHS NERVOUSLY) BOTH EXCLAIM BOTH CHEER Oh, yeah. This is actually pretty cool. (LAUGHS) I actually quite like the first two minutes. (LAUGHS) Shiver me timbers. Ah. I'm on top of the world! Far out. I mean, I love it. But you wouldn't wanna just stare down between your toes for too much, cos that's actually... That's quite a long way, I reckon. Wow. That is amazing. I actually think that you got scared in the end. Seriously? We're really high up. We're really... Look at that. I know, and look at the shadow of this massive.... (LAUGHS) canopy way down there. It's like the best swing in the world. Yeah. A little bit of stall. What's happening now? Now... We're getting closer. This is... OK, we're gonna keep our toes down. Down. Whoa. Whoo-hoo-hoo! Oh, yeah, that's actually quite nice. (EXCLAIMS) (CHEERS) That was fantastic! Awesome, guys, you're away. Whoo! (SIGHS) Wow. That was actually really beautiful. Yeah, they kept saying it, didn't they; it's gonna be amazing and be such a good view? I do have to change my pants, though, but for all the right reasons. BOTH LAUGH They got a wee bit of lake water on them. Wow. Thank you so much, Tony. It was my pleasure. That was the business. Trust me, the pleasure is all mine. Yay. OK, but the adventure's not over yet, guys. Come this way. Grab your bags. > Yeah. Place it into the jetboat. > Oh. Oh, hello. Start part two. > Whoo-hoo! 'Boats are in your blood, right?' 'Yeah, totally. For me, jetboats are a taste of freedom; blow the city cobwebs out of your head.' 'Getting to our hotel, we had no traffic issues, just wind in your hair, fanging across Lake Rotorua. 'A-And, you know, let's throw in a 360 just for fun. 'Jetboat to the hotel ` haven't done that before. 'The Koura Lodge seems like the perfect place to recharge and rest after lots of adventure activities.' Thank you, sir. Welcome to the Koura Lodge. We feel very welcome. 'Heather is totally the hostess with the mostest.' 'They've put us in the best room, looking right over the lake.' 'Yeah, lovely outlook, so beautiful.' Be in to win your own NZ escape, including flights, car hire, accommodation and activities. Head to ournzescape.tv to enter. (LAUGHS) Shall we have a look at the edge? OK, yeah. Whoa. Whoa. Yee-haw! (LAUGHS) (EXCLAIMS) (GASPS) Oh my goodness! I feel hydrated from the outside in. (LAUGHS) (EXCLAIMS) . Ready for some more adventure? I reckon it's gonna be adventure, eh? Yeah, wouldn't be a spa yet, would it? Let me (IMITATES FANFARE)... Oh my goodness. READS: 'The world's highest commercially raftable waterfall is found moments outside Rotorua. 'Hold on for the wildest ride of your life.' The world's highest commercially rafted waterfall. Just imagine one of the animated kids' movies. (EXCLAIMS) Yeah, where you're just falling and falling and falling. 'I'm really looking forward to this, and at the same time I know water's unpredictable, 'so whether or not we stay upright or everything's OK is fully unknown.' OK. Righty-ho, guys, come on down. Oh, what soft hands you have. Thanks, mate. Here we are. Yeah. Here we go. There's a bit of build-up, eh ` the way it makes you feel? Yeah. Nervous? Nervous. A little bit dry now. OK, guys, get into it. One, two,... Oh, oh. 'We've got a small waterfall to practice on first. That's, like, the warm-up.' ALL EXCLAIM (EXCLAIMS) Left, right, round, round. ALL LAUGH, CHEER We believe the river has its own spirit called wairua, so when we get down here, we need to all` do what (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) used to do ` get ourselves wet. OK, get some of the wairua of the river on us, OK? You need to become part of the river. Keen. It's nice and safe. A little more wairua for anyone? BOTH EXCLAIM It's pretty nice, actually, isn't it? 'Waiting to go to drop off the edge of a waterfall ` that is, um, yeah, it's a bit freaky.' You good? Yeah, I'm good. You good? Are you nervous? Yeah, a little bit. OK. OK, see you at the bottom! Let's do this. Whoo-hoo. 'You can never see round the corner. The water's always dropping down. 'You can't see what's coming, so it's all a lot of anticipation.' (EXCLAIMS) (EXCLAIMS) (SCREAMS) (LAUGHS) If water is the source of life, than I'm feeling pretty... (EXCLAIMS) alive right now. Happy to be alive. I'm pumped. I'm pretty full of adrenaline right now. Yeah. I feel hydrated from the outside in. BOTH LAUGH I've got high expectations of hanging out with Hamish. So far he's delivered and Rotorua's delivered. It's been delightful. I've been surprised by how much fun we've had. I think eating is a really good idea. (LAUGHS) Starvin' Marvin. 'And we finish on a delicious note.' UPBEAT MUSIC All right, cheers. Day one. Nice show. Wonderful day. This is the watermelon salad with feta balls. Wow. Hey, what a day. (CHORTLES) I know. Like, seriously. No, I know. This morning in Auckland, that feels like days ago. Yeah. This is good. Mm. I could eat a whole plate of this. GENTLE, UPBEAT MUSIC This is pretty beautiful. It doesn't get much better than that, seriously. Yeah. 'Right on the edge of the lake. Waking up here, it's so stunning.' What could Rotorua turn on for today? I'm thinking get out of the town a little bit, maybe, go and have a bit of an explore. Are you ready? I am ready. OK. READS: Have you got a head for heights? Explore Rotorua's ancient rainforest from a bird's-eye view. Well, I like the sound of that. Yep, that's nice. Whatever it is. I'm in. Let's go and do it. OK! I'm with you. Whoo-hoo! This is it. A'ight. Here we are. Canopy Tours. Rotorua Canopy Tours. BOTH: Zip line. Yes! Swoop-de-doo. This is gonna be fun. 'Zip lining's kinda hot right now, and I've never done it, so I'm` I'm interested. 'I like the idea of flying foxes. It feels like it could be playful, could be fun. 'This is ancient forest. It's never had a tree cut out of it. 'So this is really special. This is like going back in time.' Petra and Hamish, welcome to our office. We have arrived. Thank you very much. Come on in. Wonderful. Thank you. Excellent, so here we are. Yep, you'll be riding that very shortly. OK. Nice. So once the gate's open, walk down the stairs. We don't want you to jump, because as you weight the wire, the wire follows you down. We don't you to hit your bottom on the stairs. Once you're ready to go, hold on to your lanyards, lift your feet up, and I'll see you down there. < See you later. Whoo-hoo! Wow, look at that. That looks awesome. Yeah! He makes it look good, though. Yeah, thumbs up all the way. You're going first? Yeah. Just in case I don't see you again. (LAUGHS) Go for it. I think you're` I think you're feeling a little bit nervous. Jump on under that. That's it. Stand on the blue dot there and just face me. What do you reckon, Petra? <Go for it, babe. Give it a go? < Yep. Whoo-hoo. < That's it. All right. UPBEAT MUSIC Oh, I can do it way better than that. (LAUGHS) OK, mate, you'll be right! Don't be scared! I'm feeling good! You'll be fine, I promise! It's OK! (LAUGHS) 'Stepping off into the void, that is an awesome moment,... 'cos the view is so good, and it's so much fun.' Nice styles! Whoo! (GASPS) Oh! I thought you said 'lighter went slower'. That was fast. That was awesome! Thank you. Welcome aboard. That was awesome! And we get to do it again. Yeah. Let's go for a big one. Good to go. It's like the stairs to nowhere. These are the stairs to nowhere! That's it. Crouch on down and ease in. > Hey! Oh, wedgie! (LAUGHS, EXCLAIMS) Whoo-hoo-hoo! (IMITATES BIRD) Yeah! (LAUGHS) > Oh, wow, that was good. Hey! Welcome across, Petra. Come on up. I got you. I got you, baby. You made it. Oh, stop it already. (LAUGHS) So cool. Have a look at what's waiting for you. (GASPS) Oh my goodness! (CHUCKLES) Stairs to nowhere. What do you reckon? How are you feeling about that? Nervous, excited. You like heights, though, remember? I love heights (!) Just keep saying that yourself ` I like heights. (LAUGHS) Shall we have a look at the edge? OK, yeah. 'They saved the best for last, and it's a massive zip line. 'You can't see the end of it. It's really long and really high.' That's it. BOTH EXCLAIM Like a bird! Oh my goodness, it's fast! 'You never get to look down on a forest like that, and being able to survey it like a bird,... (EXCLAIMS) '...is pretty special.' Nice. Can we have a pork bun` steamed pork bun? Whoo-hoo. Look at that! Look at that! Unbelievable! Hi, Carol. You're here for your hearing test. Yes, I am. Lovely. Come on through, please. (BEEP!) BOY: Hi, Mum. It's Eddy here. Huh! You're the best mum in the world and you're also the prettiest mum in the world. But sometimes you don't hear so well. Sometimes it's funny, but sometimes it makes me sad. If you have good hearing, I can whisper in your ear and tell you good secrets. (SOBS) I love you so much. (HEARTFELT MUSIC) I don't wanna be sad about your hearing anymore. CHILD: Something as little as a free hearing check can make a big difference. . OK. (CLEARS THROAT) The card, please. Hamish Hedley Wilson,... READS: 'Your next` Take in the amazing view from the top of Rotorua's highest peak ` 'no matter how you get there.' I hope we don't have to go on all fours. What do you think? No. Well` Quad bike? Yeah. Mountain bike? Walking. Walking. Walking's good for you. You'd probably pick helicopter, but I think no. No. Too easy. Hey, gidday. Hi, guys. How are you today? Petra. Very good thanks. Welcome along. I'm Steve from Adventure Playground. Awesome. Can you get us up high? Absolutely. We'll start with the horse. OK. Uh-huh. That's how we're gonna... (LAUGHS) I knew it. My` My friend the horse. Are they, like, frisky horses? No, we're not gonna put you on a bucking bronco. You'll be fine. OK. (LAUGHS) OK. 'I'm nervous about horses. They've tried to bite me, and I've nearly` 'I've lost control of a horse and got freaked out before, so I'm nervous.' So just try a wee pat. There we go. Now. Right. Just over like that. Perfect. Beautiful. And do I need to just give her senses that I know what I'm doing? Uh, she already knows. She already knows I don't know what I'm doing. (LAUGHS) Perfect (!) Petra, meet Rocket. (LAUGHS) You're on Rocket; not a pocket rocket, though, just` Yeah. This is a big rocket. That is a big rocket. I've got my foot positioned right, though ` a little bit forward. How you feeling`? I'm just` You know me and horses. They are really big, and I have no idea what I'm doing. You'll be fine. Yep. I'm actually gonna turn my horse around. Look at that! Look at that! Unbelievable! OK, hang on. Take it easy, Molly. I turned my horse around! Staying calm. Molly's not in the following mood. (SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Yeah. Good boy, Rocket. 'I was feeling really nervous, and this beast is powerful. 'But for the first time in my life, riding on a horseback, 'the horse is actually doing what I'm telling it to do.' Good girl, Molly. 'This is an amazing way to travel. It makes me think of what it used to be like for Kiwi pioneers.' You look good on a horse. Thanks, babe. Molly's being very kind to me. It's all about time in the saddle. (CHUCKLES) As they say. Very stunning. Gorgeous. That's a view. Well, I've got to say, I am very impressed. I'm in my happy place, on a horse, on a hill. (LAUGHS) 'A sense of achievement for me getting up there on the horse. 'I know Molly did all the work, but I feel really proud to come over the crest and see the view. 'It's beautiful!' Time to change mode of transports, eh? 'A happy sigh of relief dismounting from the horse. 'Hopping into the buggy, it's, like, your quick trip down; it's your escape route, but adventurous.' Nice to sit on something that's not breathing. Your horse was a rock star. Me and Rocket. You were great. This is the high life. You're the high life. 'There's such a history of tourism in Rotorua, like 133 years or something, 'and yet it's as vibrant and right now as ever, eh?' 'Yeah.' 'Nothing feels old. It feels like, 'Wow.' 'Oh, check that out! 'Oh, I really loved it.' 'The kids would love it, eh? I mean, it sounds cliche, but it is actually jam-packed here.' 'So, everybody knows geothermal, but there's heaps to do. 'It's everything. It's, kind of, adventure and culture and relax and anything you want. 'That's what I like about it.' Open the envelope. Here we go. For you Petra. (CHUCKLES) It's... (READS) 'Feeling saddle sore? A little. Yeah. Hmm. 'Rotorua's famous spa baths will soothe your aches and pains away. Oh, yes! 'Please head directly to the Polynesian Spa.' Do not pass Go. Do not collect $100. Just go to the spa and relax. I think that that's a very good option at this stage of the day. That is what we've been waiting for. I am basically 100% happy that the next thing we're doing is chillaxing. Massages and hot pools are kind of indulgent, but if you've been horse riding and adventuring your arse off, you kind of feel like you deserve it. Hamish. Hi. How are you? Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Harvey. Hey, nice to meet you. Would you like to come on through? Yeah, sure, that'd be great. 'It's not very manly, I know, but I do like a little bit of pampering. 'I think the water was a big highlight, 'because it's full of all these minerals that are great for your skin and your joints.' 'I'm happy to be soaking up some geothermal goodness.' (SIGHS CONTENTEDLY) Perfect temperature. How good is that? 'This feels great.' Ooh. (GASPS) That's nice. Oh my goodness. A warm, stony walk. That's like a major massage for the soles of your feet that you just aren't expecting. It's quite surprising. And you can survey... Yeah, the beauty of the lake. Yeah. (SIGHS) Wow. Go again? Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Wrap up your visit with a dash of Rotorua's sparkling nightlife. I like sparking; I like nightlife. What do you reckon, do you think soaking in hot water calms you down or just speeds you up? I think initially it would relax you, but it would leave you rejuvenated and ready to party. OK, let's party. LIVELY MUSIC 'I'm surprised by the amount of activity. It's just people buzzing everywhere. 'The vibe is energy and activity and good smells and tastes. It's just happening.' 'I really love markets. I love the people jostling around. 'The sense of discovery. What are you gonna find? What are you gonna eat? Who are you gonna bump into? 'It's great.' What have you found? < Stand of sugar. Sugar, baby. It's Sugar Baby. Mmm, try that. Ginger's my favourite. Gingerbread. OK. Gingerbread sundae with something else? Definitely caramel, please. Caramel? Yeah. Yum. That's really good. That is really good. I wish` Hand me the spoon. Wish I got one now. No way. (CHUCKLES) No, give me the spoon. 'I think Rotorua has really turned it on with this market. 'There's a surprising range of food and, actually, all sorts of things to discover.' Where are we off to? Find some food? Dumplings? Yeah, yeah. Some yummy, yummy food. Can we have a pork bun` steamed pork bun and some... prawn and pork dumplings as well. Whoo-hoo! Yay. What a treat. They look really nice. 'They say variety is the spice of life, and with food I agree. 'There's just so much to choose from. So I'm like, "Whoa, what are we gonna have?" 'Yeah, it's awesome.' (LAUGHS) What's that? I am holidaying here, yeah. From Auckland. Hmm. I'm thinking about it. Yeah. What do you think ` buy a house, or shall we just go for a beer? Um, we could have a beer and talk about a house. OK. All right. Let's finish off with a beer. OK. OK, back to reality tomorrow. I know. Actually, I'm looking forward to that. Yeah. But I'll be sad to go. I know! Cucumber beer? I think you should go with that one. I'll go for the pale... Pale ale? ...ale. Cheers. GLASSES CLINK To Rotorua. I've actually really really loved it. Yeah. It's been surprising. Hmm, a bit like this cucumber beer. BOTH LAUGH Good, but surprising. 'It's like rediscovering romance, cos there's time for each other and` and the relationship. 'The focus has been each other, and that's been the joy of this ` 'doing something together ` shared experience ` and it's about us doing it. 'Rotorua is gonna move into a special place in my heart. I' think I'll always remember the time we had here together.' 'I know I won't have to remember it for long, because I'll be back,... probably with the kids.' 'Totally. Let's bring the kids.' Captions by Antony Vlug. Edited by Desney Shaw. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016