Captains Log. Star Date 20.10.05 Hello campers! We went from Wellington to Napier, which is the Art Deco city of New Zealand. Its called this because all the buildings are Art Deco style and very colourful etc. (as a result of a big Earthquake that wiped out the city in the 1920's) It was a nice sunny day there so we had a wander around the 'beach' front (similar idea to that of Kaikoura beach) just a chill out stop really, but a nice place to visit and the buildings were cool. Next morning we headed to Taupo, we arrived pretty early and went for a walk around, I went in to enquire about doing a sky dive the next day and was told that it was due to rain over the enxt few days and to just do one now...so I did! : ) So! It was so cool. I did the 12,000 ft jump and just missed the rain, which was great because aparently it can really hurt you lashing in your face whilst you are falling at 120mph, yes 120mph!! We were told to watch a video that explained what we were to do (basically tuck your legs up under the tandem master (thats what they are called I swear!) and scream if you so choose!) after which we were ushered towards the plane. When we were walking over I met Brad, my 'tandem master' and he did the whole, "Im new I dont normally do these but as you booked last minute I was asked to stand in, did you watch the video?" (when I replied that I had seen it he asked what he had to do!) He carried on with the joke while we were going up in the plane and for a second I started to wonder if it was a joke when he started asking other tandem masters what he had to do! : / Never the less I trusted my life in his hands, I was strapped to him now afterall...and was relieved when just before we leaped out of the plane he told me what was going to happen! : ) Turned out he was the guy who ran the whole place... As you will of seen by the photo's I not only got to wear a rad pair of goggles but a rather stylish hat to boot! These were strapped on tightly just before we exited... The fall was awesome, (like a hotdog lol) I had the whole cheeks flapping in the wind and everything! Even with the hat I could hear the wind rushing in my ears. We fall for a good few seconds with arms outsrteched, taking in the feeling of falling and not hitting the bottom already, then Brad pulled the chute and we flipped up into a sitting position and everything went really quiet. We took a few beats to take in the scenery quietly. I was then handed the chute handles and told I was now holding it (I was thinking oh god dont let go of them!) and told to pull down really hard on one, so I did and we started to spin round really fast, then did the other side and span the other way. It was so cool, think a spinning cup at the fairground, times a billion for the speed you're spinning at! After checking I wasnt going to vomit on him (as happens apparently) Brad then did the spinny thing again, and having considerably more muscles than I do, we span about a trillion gazillion times faster than the first time, back and forth back and forth, it was so fun! : ) (I was a little green around the gills by the last spin but it was all good!) Stuart said he could see me spining in the air loads from the ground where he was, on camera duty. Trust my dodgy batteries to run out as I landed! D'Oh! Never mind, there are a few piccies on to remember it by anyway! Then we landed, I managed not to fall over or break an ankle or any other such clutzy things, it was so cool! The following two days it absolutly lashed down, I was so lucky I got in when I did because they wont jump in the rain. Thats all for now! Over and out xxx