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Published: February 12th 2006
Yep, I jumped out of a plane!!!! And yes, I promise never to do it again. I'm glad I did it, but it was terrifying!!!!
Sky diving is something I've always thought about doing, and I thought what better place to do it than in Australia. Plus they advertise it like crazy here and I met a bunch of people who said that if you're going to do it, you have to do it at Mission Beach. So I did!!! Kristen decided just to watch me land on the beach though.
So the crew from Paul's Extreme parachuting picked me up from my hostel along with two other girls and a guy. One of the girls was about to go for a second time because she loved it so much the first time. This kinda put me at ease. So before we climbed in the plane we got into our harnesses and were shown the position to take once we were free falling 14 000 ft above the ground. We were told to arch our back and put our hands up in the air above our head. Then we all piled into this tiny plane, and I was the last to get in, which meant I'd be the first to go out. This plane was very tiny. We all sat on our butts with knees to our chests one behind the other. And they didn't even shut the door, so I was sitting (attached to one of the crew and the plane) right beside the open door. When the plane first began to take off I thought I was going to burst into tears. But strangely I began to calm down as we got higher and I looked out the door. The scenery really was beautiful, and it looked like I was just looking at one of the hundreds of postcards I've seen. We were flying over the ocean and the beach and islands looked beautiful. I did get somewhat nervous though when I asked how high we were and we were only at 3 000 ft and had another 11 000 to go! Then Brendan, who was the crew member who I was jumping with, told me it was almost time and that he was just going to kneel behind me. So he got on his knees and finished securing my harness to him. Then he said, "ok your turn". So I got on my knees and had to inch myself towards the opening. I have all of this on film and at this point my face looks exactly how I was feeling...scared to death! So then I was kneeling on the edge with my arms crossed against my chest and my head bent back and Brendan rocked us a few times back and forth and then we were out the door! Those first few moments really were terrifying. I was so concerned with getting myself in the correct arched back position, but just felt like I was falling out of control. Finally I got my bearings and was able to take a look and the view was amazing. Then I could see Johnny, the camera man who had jumped right before me, and I did my best to give him a smile and a wave. I definately did some screaming as well. Then after a 60 second freefall the parachute finally opened. This part was really nice because I got to just float there for a few minutes and take in the view. Then we landed feet first on the beach and I was greeted by Kristen. The whole adventure was filmed and I have it on DVD and can not wait to show everyone!!!! So I'm glad I did it, but I don't think I'll ever do it again. It was fun but also the scariest experience of my life.
That night, Kristen and I went out to dinner. Jasmine, you may not want to read this next line. We ate Kangaroo! When I first heard you could eat Kangaroo I also couldn't imagine it and thought it was quite sad. However, we were told by many people that it was delicious and you could get it at a restaurant called Scotty's in Mission Beach. So over we went, and it really did look delicious. So we each ordered it, medium rare, and it tasted like the best steak I've ever had. Seriously, had I not known, I would have mistaken it for steak, it tastes just like it.
The next day, we went white water rafting down the Tully Gorge. It was an all day adventure from 8am-5pm. We rafted all day and stopped half-way for a bbq lunch. There were 7 to a raft plus a guide. Our guide was hilarious. His name was Kevin and he was from New Zealand. Rafting wasn't actually as exciting as I thought it would be. Because there was such a large group of us, probably about 10 rafts, there was a lot of stop and go. We'd go down a rapid and then have to wait for all the other rafts. The rapids weren't to big either. None-the-less it was a good time and the water for once was refreshing.
The temperature here has been in the 30's for days. It's so hot that you sweat just by standing. And I have a tan!!! Not a burn, and not just freckles (though I have tons more of those too) but an actual tan. I just hope it lasts.
Today we are in Cairns, and it's a rainy day. We'll be heading to the airport at about 4am to catch our 6am flight to Sydney where Kristen will stay with me for 3 nights before she goes to Perth. I've booked one week's accomodation in a hostel by the beach and 15 min walking distance from my uni. Hopefully by the end of that week I'll have secured more permanent accomodation.
I also just want to thank everyone for their comments and emails! I really do look forward to getting them and LOVE reading them. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to respond to everyone but I promise to do so as soon as I get myself settled in Sydney and have more access to a computer.
I'll be in touch soon!
Love,
Becca
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Ashley
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WOW!! Sooo proud!
Well Becca, i gotta say, when we were travelling through France together, I always thought you were the most gutsy one....but never in my wildest dreams had i imagined you jumping out of a bloody plane! Are you NUTS?? haha..i wish i could have been there. I have to say that reading all these blogs is making me feel so sad and left out...i want to be there with you and Kristen sooooooo much! ANd it's so wierd that my two best friends from Queen's are having this amazing time WITHOUT MEEEEE!!! haah..ah well...i'll have my turn soon enough! When you get back, we're planning our next adventure ASAP! Anyway, i'm so glad you're having a great time and i miss you soooooooo much! Lots of love, Ashley