Hiking and a new type of Launcing

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Hello everyboday from Nelson, where our bus came in about five hours ago and we have since settled into yet another chilled out back-packers with homely touches and a drop of white

Our arrival here has been on the back of some questionable modes of tranport, including a somewhat rocky ferry ride where waves engulfed our boat and we shook more rapidly than leaves on a tree during gale force wind. (okay a slight exageration but it was rough).

Our last main stop was Taupo, which for me has been the most memoable stop yet. As not only did I do an amazingly beautiful and stunningly scenic hike but another activity which, might I add was very much adrenaline fulled.

After settling in at Taupo for a rather boozy evening, we took ourselves to a local bar and listened to some mellow live music (although I must confess my hearing was some what impaired by the level of white wine pumping through my bloodstream) and sampled some local nightlife. All be it short lived, it was nice to hear some live music and I hope there will be more on offer as we venture through the South Island.

A day of recovery the next day was mixed in nicely with some light preparation for a hike we had planned for the Monday. Nic and I had decided to book ourselves on a walk, in order to see those gorgeous mounatins we had stared at previously through the sunset- under the pink sky. Our day started much the same as our Killer Balu experience - with us smiling at the locals to hire some gear. After borrowing half (well, most) of their available resources, we were ready to rock.

I could use so many different words and forms of vocabulary to try and describe our walk but I fear I wouldn't do it enough justice. The Emerald lakes were saphire blue and ready to swim in, of course if it wasn't for the snow and very cold weather. I had a memorable day that comprised of chatter, putting the world to rights whilst looking at views of snow covered mountains, with rocks that crept out as the snow melted and the sight of brave people sledging down hills within the snow. A little home from home with guaranteed snow, perfect. As we tramped through snow, grass and along more sturdy walking tracks, we could appreciate Lake Taupo more fully, believeably bigger than Sigapore in a larger capacity. Stunning. We were so lucky to have a clear day and I am still now looking at our photos of the mountains, snow, lakes and grennery and smiling. I could talk much more about the BEAUTIFUL sights we saw this day but they are all slightly hazy as the time remaining in Taupo was somewhat consumed and taken over with a rather large ambition - to hurl ourselves out of a plane at 3 miles high (or 15,000 feet above the ground). An average task.


It is amazing how much one activity can take your life with both hands and rule it for a few days. As for the weather - well it completely rules the roost on New Zealand fun. We have had to have strong words with mother nature in the last few days, to throw us some good weather and enough of a gap in the cloudy sky so that we could launch ourselves into an area of blue sky.
With no idea of the process we would endure to manage our sky dive, we rocked up on Tuesday morning, ready to make our jump.

Taking my usual, "Don't give me any information about the activity, I'd sooner remain ignorant and have a nice surpirse" stance, I was keen to jump as soon as I could in order not to think / talk my way out of it. We thought our luck was in as we put on jump suits and harnesses then boarded the plane. Within twenty minutes, we were flying over lake Taupo and through deep breaths, I was trying to admire the view. The first time the door was opened to look for a 'slot', along with the plane, my heart slightly sank and I really had to have a few words to myself. It's amazing how a few utters of "Get a bloody grip" to one's self in one's head can win you around - for the second time the door was opened, I found myself laughing with excitement and ready to just do it. Being the first to go out, I'd watched nobody else jump and was still able to remain in blissfully ignorant.

I'm sure you can imagine my dismay and the adrenaline come down as the crew decided to scrap the jumps and make a landing asap due to the low cloud cover - after all that hype, it was a slight bubble bursting feeling and I felt unsure I could get so excited and rise above my nerves yet again.
I was prepared to give it a bash as we waited for a second call that afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and all skydives were scrapped for the rest of that day. Ah well we got a free scenic plane ride 😊

Having got so damn far and feeling so very determined, we booked ourselves in for the next morning - the first dive possible. To cut a long story short, our day consisted of about three phonecalls to and from the skydiving company, telling us we were either on hold or must call back in two hours. We were called to get ready and just as quickly told to relax again as the clouds came back. After a stop / start day of waiting, unsure if we should be nervous or excited or just accepting of the fact that we were not going to skydive in Taupo, at about 3.30 pm we made one more call to the company. The weather took a turn for the better and was suddenly on our side, as there was enough blue sky to jump into,we were taken for one more try.

Ready in my jump suit, I was introduced to my new instructor as he put my harness on for a final time, he then told me he was Welsh - wow - this felt like a sign, if I was going to be lucky enough to do this crazy, nutty, jump, then how awesome it was, special even, that I could take a bit of home with me to back me up (really, quite literally).
Hopefully and so very nervously, we once again boarded the plane, this time I was not first and was aware I would have to watch two other divers as they got 'sucked' out of the plane. I took my seat and began to utter hose words to myself as the plane took off and flew over Taupo in order to find us our patch to jump into the sky.

As we circulated the clouds for a while, conversations went back and forth between instructors ( some sounding not too promising) and I honestly felt disapointment was once again on it's way. So I was really quite surprised and mentally unprepared when diver number one was put on the edge of the plane, his head pushed back and arms streched out as he vanished into thin air. Oh my god this really was happening. SWEET JESUS. I watched as Tracy was positioned at the edge of the plane, looking like she was having few of those words too - closing her eyes before leaving the plane, into what became the ride of her life. Being third on board, my moment was here and my deep breathing had quickly diminished and was replaced with panting and utters of swear words I would care not to repeat on here. I didn't have much time to dwell though, thankfully, as Ian (my instructor) quickly shifted me to the edge of the plane, told me to make the famous 'banana shape', a smile at the camera and to put my arms on my harness (not necessarily in that order but it's a blur in my head). Within seconds I was being launched, quite literally at rate I can only describe as infinitively fast, screaming my head off and with no sense of control or orientation whatsoever.
It was as if prior to my dive, my organs, limbs and joints all had a meeting and conspired to all swap places for a little while. My heart fell to my feet, my stomach to my bottom, my head to my stomach and I lost all concept of where my legs and arms were anymore or indeed which was which.

Within seconds of the most uncontrollable moment I think I have ever physically encoutered, I suddenly felt a little more in control and slowed down enough to smile (or attempt to smile) at a camera, stick my arms out and experience total eupohoria and indeed the life of a bird. My goodness was it awesome. I am so glad we decided upon a 15,000 feet dive as the sensation felt short even from that height. Again, vocabulary can't quite do this experience enough justice - it's pretty hard to describe - all I can say is DO ONE TOO! (if you haven't already) With a free fall of approximately a minute, I think it is the most amazing, exhilarating thing I have ever done and would do it again in a heart beat.

I experienced landing in a whole new way too - being used to 'CABIN CREW, Be SEATED FOR LANDING' on the several thousand flights we have lately been doing, being asked to pop my legs in front of me to personally touch the ground was a whole new expereince. That and the throw in of my instructor asking if it was okay for him to adjust the harness straps around my breasts - I am sure I have never had such requests from a Trolley Dolly before. My landing was made very elegantly (on my bum) and some serious screaming went on amoungst Nic, Tracy and I, mainly for me due to the fact that we finally did it and I still had the natural high of falling through the air circulating through my body.

I just wanted to take a moment to share with you what an utterly enjoyable, incredible and amazing experience I had. The perfect end to our time in Taupo and what was indeed quite a huge build up to the nuttiest, most euphoric thing I think I have ever done.

I hope you are all very well. The experience was made even more special for the fact that I got to do it with Nic and Trace. I also thought of so many of you guys that I'd wished had been with me too - jumping too or at least ready for a hug on the ground. More soon, promise. Lots of hugs and Miss yous xxxxxx

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Photos

My SkyDIVE
YIKES