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On the way down to the glacier I signed up for skydiving. I'd wanted to do it over the glacier/ Mt Cook and had held out while everyone else was jumping in Taupo. I also wanted to do an evening kayaking trip and a full day glacier hike so we thought I could kayak that night, hike the next day and skydive the morning before we left. Sounded good. Then at 11:30 the bus driver announces the skydivers will be jumping at 1pm that afternoon!! You can take your own camera up and mine had just run out of battery so was freaking out about that while the others were freaking out about the jump.
Wasn't really nervous about the jump as was more nervous about my breathing (I hyperventilate on speedboats for some reason so possibility I may pass out on the 45 second freefall - nice thought!). Anyway we all got ready and dropped off and it was cancelled! SO annoyed!
So that evening I did the evening kayak which was beautiful. We were on lake Mapourika which was so relaxing compared to sea kayaking and the lake was so still everything was reflected in the water like a mirror. On teh way back we kayaked towards the glacier and mountains as the sun set and I got goose bumps! The clouds were really low and throughout the mountains and it just looked amazing! Unfortunately the pics haven't come out too well as the light was disappearing but was well worth the trip.
The next day most of the coach did a full day hike up the glacier (Franz Josef) which was a really good day. It looks quite flat from the ground but once you're up there it's far from that! Still seems fake though as you're on a huge glacier and then either side and at the bottom you're surrounded by rainforest - really odd! Our guide was creating ice staircases for us as we went and finding crevases of clear blue ice we could squeeze through and get v cold and wet in. Was a good day but were tired so me and Hiske decided the time had come for another meal out. Our hostel had a really cheap deal on but when we got back there was a power-cut and we were told there would be no food. We were so determined we weren't cooking though we ate at some stupidly expensive restaurant. The food was gorgeous and worth every dollar but you can imagine our faces when we went back and were told the kitchen was gas so was working the whole time and the receptionist was 'mis-informed' - we'd spent about quadruple of what we would there - oh well! Had an early night as was being picked up at 6am for my skydive in the morning....
Had such a good nights sleep and got downstairs to find all the men jumping couldn't sleep and had dreamed about falling out of planes etc where as me and karen (the only otehr girl jumping) had slept soundly the whole night through. That was pretty much the pattern for the whole morning - the guys were so nervous, especially Karens fiance - now you couldn't picture a more manly man - tattoos, skin head etc etc but he never even went on rollercoasters and here he was about to jump out of a plane! I was OK until I read the "You could die, sign here" bit of paper which freaked me out a bit but 5 mins later I was OK again.
I'd agreed with the guy if I couldn't breathe, I had a hand signal and the shoot would be opened early. Then they paired me with the craziest jumper there. He just wound me up the whole way up about there only being one shoot in the pack today and it was the uck of the draw! Karen and Brendan went in the first plane and Brendad absolutely loved it so we were all so happy for him and more excited about ours! The flight up was beautiful (although I had a DVD made of it and kept having to listen and watch the height ticking up) and I momentarily forgot I had to jump. I was sitting right next to the perspex door as I was the first out and kept noticing bits of electrical tape sticking bits of the door together which wasn't the most re-assuring sight at the time. Then we reached 12,000 ft and the guy said he was going to open the door, the sounds would be pretty loud and not to let it put me off. Well I didn't expect the level it was. I had to swing my legs out of the plane, smile at the camera, cross my arms and arch backwards and we were out! And I could breathe! The freefall was crazy, just felt like I was flying and the sky was completely clear so had the most stunning views the whole way down...then the shoot went up and you could get your camera out. After the speed of the freefall you feel like you're just hanging still and not going down. Stupidly I shouted this to my crazy jumper and his reply was "do you get motion sickness?". Strange, but I said no. Stupidly. He started spinning us in circles. Thank god I don't get motion sickness! After about 5 mins we landed in a field and with all seriousness that was the best thing I have ever done in my life. I now may jump over the barrier reef!
When we got down we watched the DVD. Apparently the lady was excited as she thought it would be comical with me passing out but I smiled the whole way down - I'm just laughing in it from start to finish! Brilliant!
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