A Sideline View

Reporter Brenda Vowden on a lean on the final bridge on the Rotorua Treetop Canopy tour

Anyone of my generation and beyond may recall the 1980s TV advertising jingle Don't leave town 'til you've seen the country. Right on the money in these topsy-turvy times.

Speaking of topsy- turvy, little did I know I'd spend my birthday hanging upside down while tearing through a native rainforest. Kind of the opposite to New York, where I was supposed to be spending my birthday a few weeks ago.

Not any old birthday, but a fairly old birthday. And not any old trip to far flung isles, but my first — I'm not counting Sydney in 1978 — so it was also my first passport. And keeping with the first theme, I decided to initiate Plan B and have an action packed weekend away with all six children in one place — without leaving the country.

With all the kids, their partners and grandchildren, logistics could have conspired against us, but just like the weather, things went our way and our group of 17 managed to arrive at Rotorua's luge within half an hour of each other to kick off the birthday bash.

The ride in the gondola up to the luge is always a thrill — and a hint of what is to come. I was half expecting the littlies to show a smidgen of fear, throw a wobbly, have a meltdown or at least hesitate for a second or two but no, as soon as their butts were firmly planted in their carts, their lesson complete and levers thrust forward, off they hurtled.

Trying my best to tap into my inner Formula One, I was no match for those mini Scott Dixons, who flew down the concrete tracks, wide smiles of concentration and satisfaction at beating Nanny written all over their young faces.

Home for the weekend was Wylie Court, a haven of indoor and outdoor bubbling and steaming pools. Whether the volume of our group was too much for some, or Lady Luck had again shone down upon us, we often had the pool to ourselves, so took advantage of any gaps in the itinerary to have a relaxing soak.

The day of my birthday dawned with the shriek of my alarm. Not a lot of time for presents or hugs, it was a quick scoff then out the door and off to the rainforest for our ziplining adventure.

We gathered first at the Rotorua Treetop Canopy office for a debriefing, clambering into wet weather gear and harnesses. Then into vans and a short drive up the road before the fun began.

The tour we chose had seven ziplines and two swing bridges, one with no rails. We reached the first platform among the treetops, waited our turns while accomplished guides Ash and Jess reassured us and clipped us on to our overhead lifelines.

With the banter of experience, they encouraged each of us to move down on to the few steps suspended below the platform before stepping off into thin air. Clinging to our safety ropes, we zipped full steam ahead and as the cool, wet air blew in our faces we felt the sheer exhilaration of flying through the untouched native forest canopy.

Again, I had expected the little guys to freak out, want to go home, cry for their mum. What was I thinking? Not on your Nellie — no fear. They leapt into the abyss like the rest of us, trusting our guides and those ropes which separated us from a grim fate. As we whizzed along each zipline the views into another world from high up in the tree tops were breathtaking.

Like all good things it had to come to an end, and what better way to round things up than lean backwards off a bridge with no rails, suspended high above terra firma?

But by now we were a bunch of highly experienced and trusting souls, so back we leant, smiled for the cameras and after one more zipline, a surprise birthday cake and appropriate sing song, we all came down to earth from our dizzying heights and left Rotorua Treetop Canopy Tours with much more than photos to show for our trip.