Driving across the New Zealand country side always offered some spectacular views and the drive back from Waitomo to Taupo was no different. The vibrant green hills were framed by blue skys and dramatic clouds, often bursting to create huge rainbows. It was like Wales on drugs!

Back in Taupo we continued to stay on Reid's farm, the weather looked better and the foecast for tomorrow was bright. We awoke to clear skies but after last time we didn't get our hopes up too much. We called in to check and given the all clear.

Before we knew it we were kitted up and being escorted to the plane by our jumpmaster and cameraman.

I thought I would have been nervous but to be honest they don't give you much time to worry. Liann and I had chosen to do the 15,000ft jump rather than 12k so we first in last out. At first it just felt like a pleasure flight, circling Lake Taupo as we climbed higher and higher. Then the door opens and s*** gets real. Everything gets louder and colder and people start falling out. Crazy!! The craziest of them all is the camera man who climbs out and holds onto the plane to get the best angle before jumping with the tandem pair. That's it, their gone. Are they ok? Did the parachute open? Did they land OK? All these questions ran through my mind as we continued to climb to 15k. Now with oxygen tubes up our nose this unpressurised plane was getting pretty dam cold. -15°C to be precise and now it was my turn.

A quick check of the harness and my tandem master and I shuffle awkwardly to the door. Hardly able to hear anything other than the air rushing past the door I smile for the camera and then drop like a stone. It takes a second for us to level off and stop spinning but there is no feeling of acceleration or even falling, the ground doesn't appear to be getting any closer either. It's just really really windy. Were now at 200kph plummeting towards the earth with only a bit of silk to save us. All I can think about is how glad I was I wore two hoodies under my jump suit but my hands were icicles! From 15k it takes 60 seconds before we have to open the shute. I thought it would go in a flash but actually a minute is quite a long time. Opening the shute was the first feeling of movement as we suddenly decelerate and my camera man continues past us. Now everything is different, Its quiet slow and peaceful as we spend the next five minutes floating gracefully back to the drop zone. As I look down I can see all those other parachutes either back on the ground or close by. As I look up I see Liann's. We were all OK, few!

Being taller than my tandem master made things a little difficult for landing so I had to land on my ass which looks really cool on the video, thanks! A pretty fast way to spend $500 but wow was it worth every penny.