Today started quite averagely,apart from it was blazing hot and gorgeous, waking up at 8am, and getting ready...apart from Mum was booked into do a wacky adventure later on in the morning that she was a bit apprehensive about!!

The Wacky adventure in Question...? The "Shotover Canyon Swing" (which sounds scary enough, before you even hear all the rest...!!) Stats: 109 metres high(to put it into perspective, thats the height of 3 whole Boeing 737-300s!!)...60m freefall...200meter arc...top speed of 150kph! Thats all!!

Hmm...I could understand why she was a little apprehensive to say the least!!!lol. But, she is always seeking that extra, bigger and better thrill to do, so I was not surprised in the slightest when she told me that she had decided to go for it!! And to be honest, she is just pure mental...so makes sense,really!!hehe.

We set off for the town centre to be picked up by the van that takes you up there, and filled out all the disclaimer forms, you know, all the usual stuff, "If I die because you forget to strap me in properly, its not your fault..."lol. (Curiously, Paul and I even had to sign one, as apparently, and I quote...spectators of the event can be "distressed" when watching a loved one do the thing!! "Well, it must be bloody petrifying, then!!" I thought!!) In fact, I was beggining to wander wether I should even watch at all!!!!!!!!!

So, we got in the Van, picking up a few other Adrenaline Seekers enroute, and took the short drive upto the Shotover Canyon, up a very steep and narrow road, which made me question if that was the actual ride....if they would have just strapped it in and given it a gentle push, then.....WOOOHHH!!!!!lol.

Anyway, we survived (obviously) and went into the centre, where "Pinky", the guy who was in charge of our group gave evryone "the talk" before sending them off to be weighed, so that the people controlling the jump could get the right harness for them.

 Mum went down onto the platform, and was about the 3rd person to jump, although she had wanted to be first-obviously!!lol.(Some couple apparently pushed in front of her.) She hesitated a little before stepping off over the edge, but there again, I cant blame her!! Its bloody high up, and jumping into the middle of a bloody Canyon, only attatched by a rope, with lots of very big and very sharp, hard rocks, and a very cold river underneath to break your fall!!!

 But, she did it!!(Go Mum! Go Mum!) And thats another thrill to add to the list!!!!

(Did I forget to mention that it is in fact the biggest Swing in the whole wide World???Silly me....)

 When she came back upto the platform, she had said that she enjoyed it, but it did make her feel a little sick when she first went shooying down into the Canyon!! But definately worth it, she said!!

 Then, all eyes turned to me..(well, all 4 of them, being Mums and Pauls...everyone else was watching their own wives/brothers/kids/generally crazy people jumping off the ledge!)

 It had been suggested since yesterday that I may possibly do it, but seeing as though it involved the 2 elemants that I am most terrified of in the world (Heights and speed) I thought that it would probably be a bit of a non-starter!(Despite the gentle persuasion from Mum and Paul...)

 So, I went to see at the desk, if I could, and they weighed me, just in case, and drew some kind of cryptic squiggle on my hand, just in case, then I went down to the ledge to see if I could do it....just in case....

 To be honest, I wasnt really expecting to be able to do it, as Pinky had already said that there was already 1 more jumper than normal, and that they were pressed for time to begin with. But, to my surprise, the guy inside said it was fine, as some people had declined a second jump, so I was next.

 Hmmmm...I suppose I thought Id better do it, now that I was there....and before I knew it, I was in a harness, and looking over the edge!! (probably looking a little something like that guy....)hehehe.

 I was trying my best not to let onto the guys controlling the jump not to let on that I was terrified, which seemed to work, as they didnt ask me if I was, as I knew that they would just wind me up, and then I would end up backing out of it!! So, I was stood on the edge, about to jump, and was about to bottle it, when I had an attack of the "logical evaluation" in my brain...

(It appears on viewing the video back that I was in fact still talking to the jump controllers at this time, though I dont actually remember much of it...)Right.Points for: Doing something mad and crazy for once in your life.Doing the biggest one in the world, as its probably the best, and you probably wont get the chance again.Prove to yourself that you can face 2 fears in a large fashion at once. Points against:You may die...

 Then ,before I knew it, I had stepped over the edge, and was screaming at the top of my very lungs (heck, Ive got a big pair of 'em...it was LOUD!! Even I could tell that!)hurtling down a rockface towards the bottom....then, WOOOSHHH accross the River, swinging backwards and forwards, still screaming, before eventually coming to a stop!

 I dangled there for a while, still quite high in the air, and did contemplat another scream, but thought, "nah, not moving now, that would just be silly..." I actually began to think that it was quite alright swinging up there! I quite liked it!!Until they began hoisting me back up the rockface to the platform, and the ropes were all creeking!! I was more scared coming up than I was on the way down!!

 When I got back to the top, the jump guys were laughing at me for screaming so much, and even Mum and Paul said that everyone watching stopped and started laughing, too! Well, Im glad that my sheer terror entertained them all at least!!lol.

 After a few minutes, I decided that I wanted to do another, so I went back down and they said it was cool. But then they tried to make me go backwards on a plastic chair (rated as one of the scariest ways to go), and I did give it a try, but then I bottled it, because thay wouldnt let me out of the chair, and were trying to tip me over the edge when I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO GO!!! So, I had a massive outburst, and completely lost my bottle, demanding to be let out, and went back upto the top again. I did think that it was rather nasty of them to do that, and Im a little pissed off, as I really did want to do another one, but nevermind! Im just chuffed with myself that I actually did it!! Which I never thought I would!!

 Actually, I dont really know what made me take the step and jump over the edge! All I know is, I got there, and thought, Vic, you better not think about it for too long, or you wont do it...then I was gone!!!

 Im really proud of myself, and Mum, too! It was scary s***!! But, I would DEFINATELY recommend it to anyone who gets the chance!! You wont regret it!!!

 GO ME!!!!!!!!