Geronimo!!!!!
Trip Start
Oct 14, 2005
1
54
71
Trip End
??? ??, 2006
Taupo,
New Zealand
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Being a tourist, I spent one night in Taupo, after doing the Tongariro, and the next day I skydived. An incredible experience and one I would recommend to anyone who was not feeling hungover, unfortunately after a few celebratory beers, for finally doing the crossing and getting out of national park, I was not at my best for the skydive.
Nerves and residual alcohol made for an unpleasant hour, which was how long I had to wait after getting to the flight centre, before I could get in the plane. Seeing everyone land safely was reassuring, and the usual traveller small talk got me through the hour, before I was called up to get harnessed up, which was a very uncomfortable experience. The harnessed could probably double as bondage equipment, as your limbs are strapped up and bound uncomfortably tight.
Then I got to meet the man who would be strapped to my back, a Swedish guy called Andy, I noticed all the other instructors, talking to and reassuring my fellow free fallers. Andy preferred the strong silent routine, briefly, but not accurately explaining what I had to do. From talking to others who had skydived I knew you had to hold your head back, this was not actually told to me, slightly worrying. I was reassuring myself though with the fact that the instructor on my back is not going to want to die, so he will make sure I'm fine, until I recall the fact that Sweden had the highest suicide rate in Europe, was it my mind playing tricks on me or was he looking a little depressed? I am the "lucky" one who got to go first, again Andy's instructions were less than clear, as he just starts pushing me towards the now open door in the plane, "Stick your legs out he snaps", looking out to Taupo beneath me, I am regretting this, but there is no going back no, is there...
Before I can voice any reservations, I hear smile for the camera, I give the camera man a forced smile and we are gone.
That first split second as you plummet to the ground the plane rapidly shrinking, and yet the ground not actaully seeming to get any nearer, the sound of air rushing past you at 200kmph is almost deafening. It is probably the only time you are comforted by the hot breath of another man on the back of your neck.
After you have realised you are falling there is nothing you can do about it, you start tio enjoy, the gut wrenching feeling of that first second subsides, and you start to take in what is going on. You can see for miles, you are attached to nothing, and you are travelling very fast, the falling sensation is only momentary. You feel free, not like a bird as some have said. unless birds fly up really high and then just tuck their wings away, you are more like a stone hurtling rapidly to the earth. This lasts for 45 seconds, and then bang, for the first time you feel a force exerted on you other than gravity, it feels like you are being pulled upwards and most of the force seemed to be exerted on the rather tight straps around my crotch. You see the camera continue screaming down towards the ground, as you slowly float. Now that we weren't travelling at 200kmph I could speak to my instructor.
After thoroughly enjoying the free fall I ask him does he ever get bored of this, he was reply was he doesn't enjoy the tandem jumps he prefers going solo, fair enough, as I watched the camera man open his chute very close to the ground. It was after this revelation that he started to loosen my straps. Not having any warning about this, and after his recent confession, I was very disturbed by this sensation. quite enjoying being attached to the man with the parachute. It turned out this was perfectly normal and everyone else had been fore warned that this would be the case, but not me...
Slowly cruising down to the landing site I was relieved to be back on solid ground, and not be attached to Andy.
A group photo and watching of the DVD later, it was time depart, the adrenaline wearing off and my wallet feeling a lot lighter, it was time to head back to the city, and get my bus to Rotorua. What I wasn't expecting was just how tired jumping out of a plane would make me feel, considering all I had to do was fall, I slept pretty much all the way to Rotorua.
