Neha Dixit
Water in Auckland observes a magical importance. It’s brimming with the most curious yet playful creatures in the world. Whether you are diving or just observing, its marvelous marine life will leave you transfixed, gaping at nature's glory and celebrating the colourful aquatic life.
The city has the greatest number of pleasure boats per capita compared to any other city in the world and well deserves the name ‘City of Sails’.
But I think my fear might have hit me a bit too early and it’s not exactly unjustified as the place looks like a shark supermarket. Trust me, this has nothing to do with Jaws, my fear is, I see myself caught in a series of events.
What if I' m standing there and something just touches me underwater, I don’t know what it is but most likely it’s what I fear the most. Which way do I run or swim. Or what if it decides to come right at me, head on, and rips me apart into pieces!
I think I figured out that’s how it's all going to end. A shark will come and eat me and my parents will never know what happened to me?
I was all set; the basement parking was filled with water and big creatures with the most amazing teeth wandering around the corners. It’s an awesome experience. I loved it.
My mind was playing games, as I was getting ready to snorkel. Why I shouldn’t do it or why I could not do it, well, they were all excuses by the end of it. But trust me in a situation like this logic is the last word you want to hear.
This irrational fear that a great white shark was circling the globe in my search to put it mildly was driving me insane.
I have done some really crazy things in life and let this set the benchmark for the rest. I decided I would go for it.
My challenge of snorkeling with the sharks doesn’t seem to be heading to any definite result and I am told that one of the main reasons why sharks eat humans is because they see swimming people as seals.
Well, that’s not a very nice trivia since I was still stuck there, with a pool filled with sharks.
Unfortunately, all the pep talks and comments did not have any effect on me. One thing is clear, I'm scared of sharks and I felt miserable but I had to live with it.
When you talk about facing your fears. It doesn’t mean conquering them all necessarily, it’s to try and be as close as you can, so next time you can tell others that I have been there, my friend.
And I know I had my chance and I blew it. I guess I will have to make do with visits to aquariums and look at sharks, lower my eyes and walk away. As I was thinking of how to redeem myself from the embarrassment and the guilt, my fortune changed.
There was another predator, Sting Ray round the corner! Just give me a gun, I will make it simpler for guys. It will be easier than getting speared by giant teeth.
I think the shark incident might have shaken me more than I had expected but if there is ever going to be a time to overcome that fear it’s now.
Although Sting Rays are fascinating to watch when they are gliding in the water and they are not considered dangerous since they look very docile.
In fact, Sting Rays are the largest of the venomous fish and the tail of the Sting Ray carries at least one serrated barb or spine up to 37 cm long.
But feeding them seemed easy but the whole feeling of being with the unknown in their territory can be quite disturbing.
I may have fed the Sting Ray but I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to swim with them.
New Zealand is a self-driven country and one of the most desired places in the world to drive around. The road, view, weather are just amazing.
Adventure is all about doing the most indifferent things and driving a Porsche coupe probably reiterates that fact.
Waitomo is one of New Zealand’s original tourist destinations. It’s a Maori word made up of two parts: ‘Wai’ meaning water and ‘Tomo’ hole or entrance. I had read so much about the caves there, the glowworms and to see them first hand was just a brilliant experience.
So we begin our descent to the caves. There is one important thing you should know about New Zealand the country is filled with places, which require these long walks. A normal walk down can turn into a quest, trust me, it’s usually an hour’s walk.
Finally, we reached the caves and it was a spectacular sight. And for our welcome we have these sweet looking eels, a word of caution though don’t try to feed them with your fingers, they might rip them apart thinking its food.
The best part of the journey was when we turned off our helmet lights and looked up, there were hundreds of glowworms lighting up the cave serenely! When you suddenly look up, you see twinkling lights above you, well there is actually no twinkle but a starry vision might make you believe that.
These spectacular natural decorations and sculptures have developed over thousands of years and are the result of water dripping from the roof of the cave or flowing over exposed limestone walls.
Our stay in New Zealand has been brilliant; believe me when I say that nothing could prepare you for a journey like this. You can experience adventure and never get tired of it.
You can stand on top of a mound and look out for streaks and swirls of clouds scattered across the clear blue skies. Witness the magical effect, you can live here forever, but the path ahead promises more.
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