02Nov 2022 by Dave Macleod 2 Comments
#98 Go BASE Jumping

#98 Go BASE Jumping

BUCKET LIST
This bucket list item was completed on 13th December 2020 in undisclosed, New Zealand. I had walked on to the bridge only a few months before, but this time it was different. This time, I was going to be jumping off it. And my body knew it. The moment that my feet touched the railway sleepers and I gazed down the tracks, my heart rate began to pick up. It became elevated, but not excessively. I knew there would be another step change once my body was on the other side of the rail. “Are you ready for me to take your pilot chute?”, Frank enquired. I responded with a concise “Yes.” Frank was set to do a pilot chute assist (PCA), which involves an assistant holding on to the…
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07Sep 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#48 Lesson] Ask Friends for Travel Advice

[#48 Lesson] Ask Friends for Travel Advice

BUCKET LIST, LESSON
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #48 Drink from Das Boot. Although Canada is home turf for me, I know very little about Calgary. I grew up in Halifax, which is over 4,000 kilometres away from Calgary. I knew Toby had some good local knowledge, so I made sure to get some highlights from him before my trip. To my benefit, Toby provided much more information than I was expecting. Instead of a few highlights, Toby provided me with an itinerary for my whole time in Calgary. Some people are reluctant to ask for help or for advice, but I have made this a part of my life for many years. If I know that one of my friends has been to a location that I am planning…
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18May 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2017 & 2018 Roundup

2017 & 2018 Roundup

GENERAL
I had a very interesting couple of years through 2017 and 2018. I completed a total of four items from my bucket list, with two of them being the most controversial yet. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures through 2017 and 2018, here is a roundup. #54 Run with the Bulls in Spain Completed on 8th July 2017 in Pamplona, Spain [#54 Lesson] Do Things for Your Own Reasons #27 Watch a Bullfight Completed on 8th July 2017 in Pamplona, Spain [#27 Lesson] You Don’t Know Until You Go #61 Watch the Tour de France Live Completed on 22nd July 2017 in Marseille, France [#61 Lesson] Marvel at Human Capabilities #72 Walk on a Glacier Completed on 2nd January 2018…
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23Mar 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 2

#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 2

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 2nd January 2018 in Franz Josef, New Zealand. In my previous post, #72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 1, I told the stories of the two attempts that preceded my third, and final, attempt at walking on a glacier. This item took me nearly four and a half years to complete it but, on 2nd January 2018, I was successful. Attempt #3 In December 2017, my mum came to visit me in New Zealand and I wanted to take her to the West Coast. She and my dad had travelled the South Island in 2015 but skipped the West Coast due to bad weather. I thought this was a good chance to get her to the West Coast and, with any luck, perhaps…
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09Mar 2022 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 1

#72 Walk on a Glacier: Part 1

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This particular item seemed to be quite elusive to me and took me three attempts, which spanned nearly four and a half years. Some bucket list items are easy to achieve. It is just a matter of planning to go do it and then following through. However, walking on a glacier proved to be much different. I will recap the first two attempts in this post and then the story of how it was finally completed will be told in my next post. Attempt #1 While travelling through New Zealand in 2013, my friend Kyle and I found ourselves in Queenstown, then Wanaka and then heading up the West Coast. The West Coast of New Zealand is a rugged place as it cops the brunt of the weather systems that…
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01Dec 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
2016 Roundup

2016 Roundup

GENERAL
I had my second-best year for the bucket list in 2016. I managed to complete seven items from my bucket list across three different countries. In case you have missed any of the stories or lessons from my bucket list adventures in 2016, here is a roundup. #36 Run a Half Marathon Completed on 26th June in Wellington, New Zealand [#36 Lesson] Accomplishing Life Goals Takes Commitment #90 Go to Pompeii Completed on 3rd July in Pompeii, Italy [#90 Lesson] Explored History #23 Ride in a Gondola Boat in Venice Completed on 15th July in Venice, Italy [#23 Lesson] Keep your Wits about Yourself When Travelling #78 Make a Call from a London Phone Booth Completed on 3rd October in London, England, UK [#78 Lesson] Stay in Touch #77 Get…
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24Feb 2021 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#39 Join the Mile High Club

#39 Join the Mile High Club

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was complete on 20th June 2015 en route to Fiji. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell. This one seems a bit too personal for an elaborate story to be posted on the internet so here is what you need to know: Yes – I actually did it. Yes – It was on a commercial flight. No – We did not get caught. No – There is not a lot of room in there. The lesson learned here is that you do not have to own your own airline to pull this one off. In your face Richard Branson! Want to be notified when new blog posts are uploaded? Subscribe below.
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12Aug 2020 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#41 Go on a Blob

#41 Go on a Blob

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 21st September 2014 in Tauranga, New Zealand. This post follows on from my previous post, #65 Go Whitewater Rafting, which describes the start of my travels with my brother during his trip to New Zealand. After leaving Rotorua we kept moving north and drove straight to the Coromandel Peninsula, stopping at a hostel near Hahei. We stayed at the hostel for two nights and used it as our home base while we explored the surrounding area. Cathedral Cove One morning, after breakfast, we took off to discover Hot Water Beach. The beach gets its name from a natural underground hot spring located directly below the sand. Hot water, up to 65 °C, bubbles up through the sand that is exposed during the two…
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01Jul 2020 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#65 Go Whitewater Rafting

#65 Go Whitewater Rafting

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 17th September 2014 in Rotorua, New Zealand. I had been living in New Zealand for about a year when my brother, Galen, sent me an email saying that he had some money saved up and wanted to come and visit me. Galen and I love adventure activities and after hearing about all the exciting experiences I had been having in New Zealand, he wanted to come and experience some of them for himself. After exchanging a few emails, we had sorted out a good time for him to visit and he booked his flights. He would be coming for five weeks and wanted to experience as much of New Zealand as possible. We came up with an awesome adventure itinerary of New Zealand…
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15Jan 2020 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#3 Go Skydiving

#3 Go Skydiving

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 10th August 2013 in Wanaka, New Zealand. Our snowboarding trip on the South Island of New Zealand continued through Queenstown and Wanaka after I crossed #14 Ski a “Real” Mountain off my list at Mount Olympus. The Queenstown and Wanaka area is amazing because there are so many adventure sports and activities packed into one little zone. The skiing is seasonal but mountain biking, bungee jumping, skydiving and many other activities are done all year round. I found a good deal on a tandem skydive at Skydive Wanaka, so we made sure to fit that into our plans. I had always wanted to skydive when I lived in Canada and tried to organise it with my friends a couple times, but it never…
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