We drove out of Auckland with wet eyes all around and headed south east for Rotorua, famed for its geysers and natural hot springs.We were also warned by Andrew that the place stunk, which it did.We didn't get a good smell of the place until we woke up the next morning and I thought that there must be a sewage leak somewhere but no… that is just nature at work. The smell changes as the day goes on.It starts pretty putrid and then turns to a rotten egg smell and then mellows to something akin to burnt popcorn.Anyway, it's unpleasant but even in a short time we grew accustomed to it.

The reason the whole town smells is because of natural hot springs which cover the town.Hundreds of puffs of stream are seen driving around and even walking through Kuirau Park we must have seen dozens of shallow holes with bubbling mud with steam billowing out.Antony was into checking out the mud but I was more interested in soaking myself in the notorious thermal waters and we headed to a place called Polynesian Spa and by paying a small fee we were rewarded with 6 thermal pools overlooking Lake Rotorua.They were lovely and warm and if it wasn't for the overcast weather (and of course the smell) we could have happily stayed all day.But we knew that we had to move on and drove south to Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake.

All that night and the following morning I kept asking Antony,"are you nervous yet?"I certainly was getting a belly ache but Antony remained calm.Even when we were watching the video and putting on our jump suits he seemed pretty calm.It wasn't until we were soaring up in a little plane high above Lake Taupo and we were sitting facing each other that we were both definitely looking nervous.

My tandem partner points to his watch as says that we are only at 4,000 ft which is only a third of the way up and I looked down at the ground and got a lump in my throat.At 8,000 ft I have to wiggle on my partner's lap while he straps us together, pulling cords and tightening straps. I see that Antony is also sitting in his partner's lap, looking slightly abashed. At 12,000 ft they slide the door open and the air pounds against your face and I watched Antony dangle his feet over the edge, his partner force his face upward and fall out of the plane.

I knew it was my turn, my partner says that I don't have to do it but I know that there is no turning back.I dangle my legs forward, getting a quick view of the lake below and secretly wishing I could have a bathroom break and before I knew it we are freefalling through the air!What a rush - spinning around, screaming silently and trying to take in the fact that you are approaching the ground very quickly. We were in freefall for 45 seconds which felt both like a lifetime and no time at all and just when I started to think the ground was getting a little too close, I felt yanked up through my chest and the parachute opened.

For the next five minutes we sailed through the air, I took control of the handles, and I was able to see the incredible vista all around us.We were fortunate to have a beautiful clear morning and I could see varying blues in the lake and the camel colored mountains surrounding the valley.The whole time my heart is pounding in my chest and dribble comes out of my mouth saying inane things like "that was so cool" but I'm sure he has heard it all before.I see Antony land and I follow, just as ungracefully, and we have done it!For the rest of the day and our drive to Ohakune we were grinning and babbling on about the experience, agreeing that next time we would try 15,000 ft instead.

Until next time,

R & A