This Sunday was another eventful day for me. I got a lift to the Manawatu Gorge from Allister, the owner of City Rock (the local climbing gym). He was heading into the gorge anyway to throw 6 12-14 year old girls of a 22 meter bridge for a few hours (giant pendulum rope swing), and figured he could show me some of the local climbs while we were driving through... as well as at the actual bridge.
The cliffs are right along the water's edge. They consist of very rippled limestone which, although the rock appears very textured, offers very little friction. Some of the climbs are literally DIRECTLY over the water, so it is neccisary to abseil (rappel) off the top until you get to just above the water.
The local trick for a belay is to rappel down on a gri-gri which is a device which works like a seat belt.... it lets rope through, up or down, until it is quickly weighted which locks it up (x-mas gift anyone?). Once at the bottom, you simply start climbing up and pulling slack through the gri-gri every move or two, incase you fall. Once the season warms up, there is also some exellent overhanging sections that will make for great "deep water soloing" which is climbing with nothing but the water below you as protection (and incentive)!
So, I got in a few hours of good climbing, all the while being entertained by the high pitch screams of the wee ones being hurled of the bridge. After the birthday party crew left, Allister was nice enough to offer me a jump..... hell why not. The rush is in just throwing youself off, there is no real free fall as that the rope tensions quite quickly..... but it was a lot of fun.