Hello Everyone,

Another early start, 9.00am on the bus and ready to leave. Nikki and I joined Rich from our first group and boarded the bus with our new travelling companions. We left Rotorua and headed for Te Puia (Thermal Park) where some of the bus got off to visit the geysers, boiling mud and kiwi bird house. The remaining people including Nikki and I headed for the surrounding Redwood forest where the driver took us for an hours walk, which was lovely especially in the bright sunshine. After collecting the first group of people from the thermal park we headed towards Taupo, a short 2 hour drive away.

Our first stop heading into Taupo was Huka Falls situated on the Waikato River.It was a spectacular sight, the large river approximately 15m wide is funneled into a gorge formed by an earthquake 3m wide and 3m deep causing the water to accelerate and form a tunnel of rapids which fires off a 11m high waterfall. A bridge allowed us to walk over the gorge and downstream where you could see the full force of the water fall. It was amazing, apparently professional Kayakers go down the gorge and off the water fall, they must be crazy!

Before heading to hostel on the edge of the Lake Taupo we stopped at the bungy jump over the river as a couple of guys on the bus wanted to jump. We were going to stop and watch but the heavens opened so non-jumping people headed back to bus and for the dry of the hostel. Before we reached our accommodation, we had to sign up for our sky dive over Lake Taupo. The whether wasn't looking great that day but were told to keep going to reception each hour for an update if we will be jumping today. After unpacking into our 4 bed dorm with Rich we headed down to the desk to check on our Sky dive. Unfortunately the group before us still hadn't jumped due to the whether so we decided to leave it for the day and get put on the list for the next morning, 11am. With some disappointment we headed for a walk around the small town of Taupo, the adventure capital of the north. The whether still wasn't great so we headed back to hostel to cook dinner. In the evening the three of us went out for a few drinks in the bar below the hostel before deciding to head to bed before our exciting day ahead. Regrettably our room was above the bar the loud music made it hard to get to sleep even with headphones in.

So D-Day was finally here, with perfect blue sky and bright sun shine today would be the day we got to jump out a perfectly good plane just for the enjoyment. Me, Nikki and Rich were picked up at 11am outside the hostel and driven to the jump sight. After filling in the form with your personal details, picking your height to jump (12'000ft or 15'000ft) and what package you wanted included in your jump, we were walked through to the back of the hanger to put our red jump suits. At this point we were all introduced our dive master who took us through tightening and checking our hardness, hats and suits. Nikki and I chose the video and photo package so were also introduced to our camera persons and had our first photos and video footage taken, obviously trying to hide the nerves. Once happy we were walked to the plane and told to follow our jump master in, straddling a small bench and sitting with them behind us. We had a full plane of 5 jumpers and dive masters and four camera men so was a tight fit. As soon as we were all loaded we took off and headed up to our jump height of 15'000ft. During the 30 minute flight up there, our jump masters took us through what would happen when it was time to jump "lean your head on my shoulder, hold on to your straps until I tap you on the shoulder to say you can release." Approximately half way through the flight, our jump masters asked us to sit on his knee so he could strap himself to us. This was the point when you realized there was no going back. Reassuringly after being strapped to our instructors, every 5minutes we would check all the straps were tight and fastened giving you the confidence to forget your nerves and enjoy yourself. At 13'000ft we were given oxygen masks to help us breathe in the unpressurised plane. Finally at 15'000ft the door was opened and the first jumper made ready to jump, at this point a shout from the cockpit told the first jumper it wasn't safe to jump so had to climb back in to the plane for 5 minutes to wait for a commercial plane to land, I was glad not the be that person. Once the minutes had pasted the door was opened again the first jumper readied and jumped. I was third in line with Nikki being last to jump from the plane. Quickly the next person jumped and it was my turn, the instructor and I slid along the bench to the edge of the plane where I stuck my feet out. My camera man was already outside the plane filming my reaction to leaving the plane. I placed my head back on his shoulder as told earlier, the instructor rocked us back and forth on the edge twice and then we went. It was incredible, the initial fall from the plane makes you lose your stomach but once you are accustom to the feeling of falling it quickly passes. The free-fall lasted 1minute and was defiantly the best bit, the view was amazing and the feeling of the wind rushing past your face and body was intense. During the free-fall the instructor spins you round a few times before stopping the camera man comes in for a close up of you. It was so hard to do anything, move, wave, smile and try and make yourself look like you're having fun. I had to grab my camera man's foot at one point to steady ourselves for better photos. Nikki's camera women asked her to blow kisses and open her mouth to fill her cheeks like a hamster. The rushing cold air caused my eyes to water even with the goggles on and Nikki's hat nearly flew off her head completely (don't think they noticed how small her head was). Once the free-fall was complete and the instructor pulled the parachute cord, you instantly stop. It's an incredible feeling from falling face first at lightning speed to suddenly gliding through the sir graceful as a bird. We both got the steer the parachute which was amazing, having to pull hard on one handle and allow the other to retract up causing a steep spiral spin down towards the floor. The view was incredible with only a small amount of low lying cloud obstructing the view over lake Taupo and Tongariro mountains. Both our camera persons landed for us so they could film us coming into land. I landed and slid in on my bum and was immediately greeted with a camera in my face. Nikki was a couple of minutes behind me and endured the same experience on landing giving a hug and grinning smile to the camera. After both thanked our jump masters for returning us safely to earth, met Rich who landed just after me and full of adrenaline headed back into the hanger to get changed and take a few photo's in our jump suits. Nikki found it hard to pop her ears after the fast decent so we had to speak up for a while so she could hear us. Once changed, we headed into the film room to watch our jump videos and checked that they worked. Happy with our mornings accomplishment we paid up, collected our videos, photos and t-shirt and were driven pack to our hostel with huge grins attached to our faces.

Our afternoon was less exciting consisting of copying photos and videos to our memory stick so we could publish them on Facebook and chilling out after our exhausting morning. In the evening, decided we would move hostels for the next four nights as the rest of the group were heading south on the bus and the noise from the bar was unbearable. We packed up our stuff and went to play the local pub quiz with some guys we had met in the hostel.

An 7.30 alarm started our next day off early as our roommates needed to be on the bus for 8.30 and we had to be checked out by 10am. After our good byes to our fellow travellers, headed up the road to our new home for the next 4 nights called Taupo Urban Retreat. We checked in but couldn't get in our dorm until mid-day so left our bags there and headed into town for some breakfast. After some food and a quick walk down to the harbor we headed back to the hostel, got our room keys and unpacked. Another person's stuff was already in there so Nikki and I took the bunk beds closest the door and unpacked our stuff. The rest of the day was rather lazy, went food shopping for the next few days and chilled out in the common room area. We also met a girl who was on our first bus as caught up with her before an early night.

The next day we decided to walk up the Huka falls again from town up past the spa park. The walk was lovely through a large park with outdoor kids play area which health and safety would have a field day with in the UK. At the start of the river bank path was a spa park were heated water from underground heated the pools near the river bank. A number of people were in there swimming gear paddling about in the warm water. The walk itself was approximately 5km along the river bank through the surrounding shrub land. It was a beautiful day and the views were spectacular. We ate our pack lunch at the falls before heading back along the same path to the hostel. In the evening we cooked dinner and watched film in the common room.

The following day we decided to have a lazy lie in after our two other roommates had checked out. We ate a late breakfast and decided to spend the day sorting out photos, blogs and looking for jobs in Queenstown. In the early evening, our two new roommates moved in and we decided to make an early dinner. Nikki got on with one of the girls called Kerry who invited us out for a few drinks that that. The three of us went to our hostel bar where we met a few other people from Kerry's bus before heading into town for the rest of the night. It was good night enjoyed by all and after some more drinks and a dance, we headed to the hostel for the night.

Our final day in Taupo started with a few saw heads but nothing a good shower and a cup of tea couldn't sort out. We headed round the town to look in a few shops before realizing it was a Sunday and barely anything was open so we headed back to the hostel to watch a film in the TV room. In the evening I went for a walk along the Lake to take a few photo'd whilst Nikki relaxed back at the hostel finishing her book before cooking our last meal in Lake Taupo. Still feeling the effects of the night before, we packed our bags and had an early night before heading to River Valley early the next morning.

From Lake Taupo with Love.

Ben and Nikki x