This morning was an early start for all of us except Vanessa as we'd all booked to go see the hot pools and a famous geyser. First of all we stopped at a mud pool where we could stop and take pictures but weren't allowed in as the natural temperature is really hot. This part of New Zealand is covered in naturally occurring hot pools and hot springs and a geyser is where the hot water has built up underground and eventually erupts.
From there we went to the Lady Knox Geyser; we were told about how this geyser erupts at the same time every day and has done for hundreds of years so we had to be there for 10:20. Anyway, about 10:15 a man walks out and starts telling us about how this geyser was originally found by prisoners and that they washed their clothes in the hot springs when the soap reacted with the water and the hot water shot into the air creating what is now the geyser.
So 10:20 came and up the little man comes again with a big brown bag... Bit strange. He then proceeds to tell us how he is going to pour the contents of the bag into the geyser and something amazing will happen.
It bloody turns out that this "naturally recurring geyser" that goes off at the same time every day is actually triggered by this chemical that the man puts in every day at 10:20... Erm hello!!! I think that makes it not naturally occurring. Apparently, if they didn't do this then it could go off at any point between 24-72hour intervals so that's why they're setting it off: I still think they're missing out on the point of why people go to see this natural geyser that goes off at the same time each day. It was pretty cool to see it erupt but feeling cheated we went back to the bus to head to the wai-o-tapu thermal reserve park.
We walked round the park for an hour and a half and they had all different thermal pools that were all different colours and smells depending on what chemicals were in the rocks underneath.
Anyway, after this the bus came to pick us up and we headed on down to Taupo: in the middle of Taupo is lake Taupo which is the size of Singapore city so it's pretty huge and the place is just beautiful!!!
I knew that I wanted to do a skydive when I was in New Zealand, and THE place to do it is Queenstown but at the minute the weather is pretty bad there and it's also more expensive to do it there. So when I saw that today Taupo had clear bright blue skies and was cheaper I decided today was my day and I was gonna jump out a plane!!
We checked into our hostel and then set off to the airfield; there were three people from Taiwan also doing the jump and Tim and Alice came with me to take pictures and just watch.
I decided to jump from 15000ft as you get just over 60 seconds of free fall, which is where there is no parachute and you and the skydiving master are just falling. I also decided to get pictures and videos aswell so this meant that another guy would also be jumping with us to take pictures of me and video the freefall.
I was given a jumpsuit to put on which was of course very flattering and then they fitted me into my harness and told me the three important steps of how to hold my harness when we exited the plane, how to hold your body when your free falling and how to lift your legs when you land. Then I met the guy I was jumping with who was Leksi from France and my camera guy and they took us all out to the plane.
At this point I was starting to feel a little bit sick and nervous but it made me feel better that two of the people from Taiwan were pretty old and if they could do it, I was pretty sure I could aswell.
When we were all in the plane, the plane took off and we started climbing to 15000ft; it was at this point I looked around the plane and realised that I was nearest the door and I'd be the first person to jump. Leksi made me feel really relaxed though and kept asking if I was okay and going over everything with me and we even had a bit of a laugh with the cameraman.
I think it was about 10000ft when they put my hat, gloves and some goggles on and then passed around oxygen masks as we climbed higher up which soon made me realise how high we were going. Then Leksi started attaching my harness to his harness and making sure it was all okay; you're pulled so tightly and closely to the tandem master that you soon stop becoming so nervous because you feel so safe.
The next thing I knew the door was pulled open and Leksi told me to swing my legs round. It felt like the shortest amount of time before he was dangling me out the plane getting me to pose for a picture and then before I knew it he'd jumped out the plane!!!
My eyes slammed shut and I shouted quite a few obscenities while Leksi spun us upside down and round in a big circle. I opened my eyes and screamed with excitement as I got my breath back; it was the most surreal feeling as we sped through the air reaching speeds of around 220km/h.
We fell like this for about a minute while the cameraman and Leksi messed around together and I just tried to take everything in when all I could think was "I've just jumped out a plane" it seemed to last for ages which was a really good thing and then I saw the cameraman waving bye to us and knew what was coming next. Leksi pulled the cord and we snapped back up into the air; I thought it would hurt but it didn't at all and now everything was peaceful and I could hear again, Leksi whooped and asked me if I was okay (which obviously I was) Then he told me to stand on his feet and as I did, he loosened my harness which made me drop down about an inch and was pretty scary, then he loosened my chest strap so it was more comfortable for both of us.
Then I saw it, possibly the most beautiful view I've ever seen... You could see the whole of lake Taupo with all snow-capped mountains in the distance and the bluest sky I've ever seen, it really was the most surreal beautiful view!!
Then, Leksi asked me if I wanted to have some fun and he spun us in the parachute so we went round in a big massive circle and then another camera guy swooped right under my feet so they were nearly touching his parachute which was pretty cool. After, what felt like 30mins but was more like 5 we started slowly making our way down toward the landing field, where Leksi asked me to raise me legs and get ready for the landing.
I expected the landing to be really horrible and scary but it was really simple and went absolutely and completely fine.
I don't think I can ever really put into the words the amazing feeling you get of adrenaline, fear, exhilaration and about 10 other emotions running through your body at the same time. It's like you don't know whether to scream, laugh or just cry and although I was nervous it's like I forgot to even be scared because I was enjoying it so much!!
Anyway, we waited to pick up my pictures and I realised that I couldn't hear anything out my right ear drum because it had popped which became annoying very quickly!
We headed back to the hostel, met Lucy and then met Vanessa who had been and done a bungee canyon swing which she said was really good. It's funny I always wanted to do a bungee jump and I'm sure the adrenaline rush is really amazing but I don't think it could compare with a skydive so I don't feel bothered about doing one anymore.
We all headed down to an area where Amanda told us was a natural thermal pool: we got there and it was literally like a river running into a big lake but the water was crystal clear and it was was hot water.
So we did what you do in New Zealand, stripped down to our bikinis and jumped in, it was so warm and there were bits that were like a jacuzzi.
Totally surreal... I mean you just wouldn't go sit in a riverbank in England but you can here, it's no wonder I love the place!!!

I love it in Taupo and if I had longer in New Zealand this would definitely be somewhere I would have stayed longer!!!!