fun things we've done

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we have spent the last 2 days (in the lovely sunny and hot weather) doing some silly and very scary (but also very fun) outdoor things.

the 1st one yesterday, involved going up and down rapids in a jetboat! this was really good fun, especially as the trip goes out just after they open up the dam in the river, so there's plenty of rapids. the jetboat basically bounces over the waves, causing us lot on board to be lifted up from our seats and generally thrown about a bit. a lot of 180degree turns were also involved which was also incredibly fun!!

todays one was alot more scary, and one that i tried to back out of alot, but Jack (quite rightly) wouldn't let me. we went skydiving! we fell 12,000 feet out of a plane. the getting ready part was fine, harnesses etc put on, then we met our tandom partners (mine was a crazy german man, but he does hold world records for surfing in the sky!), then we went up into the plane. that was the start of the scariness. i was the first to be thrown out the plane, so i missed seeing anyone elses experience (probably for the best!). i kept getting height reports from my germanman (at 2,000 and 4,000 feet - i thought this looked high enough!) but he kept telling me that higher was much better. when the plane got to 12,000 feet the doors opened and out went my camera man. i then got shuffled to the door and just had to allow myslef to fall out with the german - terrifying!!! it felt literally like falling out a plane!! we free-fell for about 40 seconds, it didn't feel too much like you were falling, just a lot of air rushing at your face making breathing and realising what was happening really difficult. but then at 5,000feet from the ground the parachute opened and all was good! that was really relaxing, strangely quiet, and then it was just a nice float (with turns involved) to the ground. overall was amazing!! but now that i own the photos, dvd and t-shirt i don't really feel the need to do it again! but who knows...maybe if i get bored in Queenstown!

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