第562期:River Rafting

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Todd: So, Mark you said that you do crazy things when you travel. Can you give an example?

Mark: Yeah, one of the best things that I did was white water rafting in New Zealand. We actually rafted down the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, I was told at that time.

Todd: What does that mean, the highest commercial waterfall?

Mark: Well, I think it's the one that's can only be taken by tour groups because it's safe. If it's any higher then that one, then it's deemed unsafe and they wouldn't be able to take tour groups rafting. You'd have to be a professional rafter.

Todd: So you go over the top?

Mark: We went straight over the top, yeah. It was crazy. And I was sat right at the back of the raft and they called this the ejector seat.

Todd: Right.

Mark: But actually, everybody was thrown out of the raft, but they give you some instructions before you can go and you are thrown down into the waterfall and the instructor basically tells you curl up into a ball and if you curl up into a ball the waterfall actually spits you out, shoots you back out the top.

Todd: Oh, cool.

Mark: Yeah. So I did, and it worked. I was happy.

Todd: So did you camp overnight or was it just a one-day event?

Mark: No, this was just a one day, just to do that one waterfall. We wanted to do the highest one.

Todd: Right.

Mark: But I would like to go on - I think in Europe, especially, if you go to a place like Turkiye, Spain, you can do like four and five-day raft trips, where you camp as well at the side. I'd like to do that.

Todd: Oh, that sounds nice.

Mark: Yeah.

Todd: Yeah, in the States it's quite popular along the Colorado River.

Mark: Right.

Todd: Don't you need like special training, or do you just hop in the boat and go?

Mark: I think it depends on how difficult the river is, so I'm sure there's beginner rivers, where you don't need so much training. Maybe a few hours. For that one that I did, with the waterfall, the lecture they gave us was about 25 minutes before we started.

Todd: What about your country? What about England?

Mark: Not so many places to go white water rafting, because I don't think the rivers are big enough, or wide enough. There's some good places for canoeing or kayaking. I know we have the national kayak center in Nottingham, England, which is pretty good. Yeah, but not so much for rafting.

Todd: OK, thanks, Mark.