10th August 2007

TODAY HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!! We got up and left the campsite about 9.30am and headed down to Lake Taupo for our skydive at 10am. Weather was gorgeous when we got up, although when we got there, the clouds came over and it started to rain, which meant our skydive was cancelled and put back until 1pm weather permitting. So we just had to hope that the weather would be clear by then. We went and got lunch and by the time 1pm had come, the sun was cracking the flags!! It was gorgeous again! So we picked our music for our jump DVD's and set off in our fluorescent PINK plane!!! All geared up in our "jumpsuits". I was partnered with Mark (Beedo) and Jenny with Alex. 10 people fit in our plane, it was so tiny as well. Everyone was doing 12,000ft jumps apart from me and Jen so we were last out and had to watch everyone else "fall" out the plane! We were so high, but extraordinarily i didn't feel scared, probably cos i was fuelled with adrenalin!! Well i was out the plane before Jen. The 60 second freefall (bearing in mind during this time, you drop 10,000ft at over 120mph!) was SUCH a buzz!!! The rush was immense!! And falling through the clouds - a feeling i have never felt before!! Then out came the parachute to drop the final 5,000ft. It was so peaceful not having the rush of wind past you. Taking in the beautiful view over Lake Taupo and surroundings. I think today has been one of, if not "THE" most thrilling days of my life. Im proud of myself, considering i hate flying in planes, and heights!! We also got included in our package the jump DVD, photos and a t-shirt so im sure you'll all get to see them at some point, even though they are very embarrassing, what with my cheeks flapping about in the wind!! So an unbelievable experience. Well after we came down from our high (literally!) we got on the road to Napier - Havelock North (around 3pm) to meet up with Mark Roberts (Big Bob - friend of Dads) and his family - Sarah, Jack and George, although Bob was at a Bob Dylan concert down in Wellington so we'll see him tomorrow as we're going to stay here two nights. It feels like luxury to be finally in a house with carpet on the floors instead of a damp campervan!