Got some spare time and managed to find some free internet so thought I'd do another quick blog...

I mentioned in yesterday's blog that I had something exciting planned for today. I couldn't go into too much details through fear of giving my parents yet another sleepless night due to my antics...

Anyway, today I would tandem skydive from 14,000 feet over the great barrier reef and landing on Mission beach on the east coast of Australia...

The morning started almost disastrously. I thought I was being picked up from the hostel at 8am when just as I was crawling out of bed at 7.10am I got a phone call saying the bus was outside. Apparently the pick up was 7am. Woops!! Naturally I had no time to shower or cleanse myself in any manner whatsoever so I just threw some clothes on and went on my merry way, albeit probably not looking or smelling my best... at least I didn't miss it altogether.

The skydive would take place at Mission Beach a two hour drive away. Once we got there I signed my life away and had the briefest of safety briefings. When there's a dude who knows what he's doing strapped to your back there's only so much you need to know.

Formalities over and semi kitted up we went on another very short journey down the road to the airstrip to board the smallest plane I have ever been in in my life. 5 of us were due to do the jump in this flight but with instructors, cameramen etc I reckon about 15 of us were piled in the plane.

Give the size of the plane the flight was remarkably smooth. Although it was slightly unnerving that the door was open for a large part of it. We got to 14,000 feet in the space of about 15-20 minutes by which time I was well and truely bricking it. Fortunately, as I was strapped to some dude called Andzl I wouldn't have to jump myself, although I had to do was fall with him...

I was third out. Sitting on the edge of the plane door I was bloody terrified!! Then next thing we're falling. Oh my god for the first 10-15 seconds it is terrifying as you are spinning around whilst dropping. After this you get your bearings and fall like the photo above. That is when it becomes less scary and more amazing. The ground is so far away it is surreal and not quite as scary as a bungy jump where death appears imminent. The views though are spectacular!! Looking out over the bay and great barrier reef was truely epic.

The only slightly scary thing left is when the parachute is release at about 4,000 feet and you feel like you spring up into the air. It's a bit unnerving when you've been travelling at between 200-250 kph seconds previously. We landed smoothly and I didn't fall over!!

What an experience!!

It's all on dvd, so it could be coming to a TV screen near you soon...