Wellington

We're back in Wellington (yes, for like the third time).

Taupo was really gorgeous, but there was nothing to do (though I did go skydiving!). And thanks to reduced bus availability (we've officially left the high season) we had to stick around a bit longer than we would've liked. I was going to do the Tongariro Crossing but got rained/snowed out. I was pretty bummed about that as it's supposed to be one of the absolute best things to do in NZ, and is rated as one of the most beautiful one-day treks in the world. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate! We've found that when the weather inhibits outdoor activities, there's really nothing else to do. As a recent hostel roommate of ours said, you could probably do everything the country has to offer in just a month or two - if only you had good weather all the way.

Skydiving was absolutely AMAZING. Maybe the best thing I've ever done. I didn't really have any interest in it when we first got here, thinking it was just a kind of slightly ridiculous adrenaline-junkie activity. But then I spoke to a couple of people who had done it (most tourists who come here seem to make it a priority) and what they described to me was totally different from what I had pictured. Taupo's supposed to be a really great place to do it, so I just kind of signed up and tried not to think too hard about what I was committing myself to.

My tandem diver was a guy named Mike, who was probably a good 6 inches shorter than me. He called me an Amazon and wondered if there was a jumpsuit that would fit me. Luckily I was too busy being nervous to be self-conscious. :) We were the last people into the plane, a tiny little outfit with a garage-type door in the side. The other 14 people already crammed in there had taken up all the available bench space, so we squeezed into the floorspace between their feet and the door. To close the door next to us without severing any of our limbs we had to practically climb into their laps.

As the plane took off and ascended to 12000ft Mike took care of adjusting our harnesses and clipping us together in every way possible, as well as giving me instructions for when it came time to jump. The photographer who was to jump with us, Pascal, was crammed in next to us. He and Mike were very jokey together and completely casual, which helped to distract me from thoughts of exactly what I was about to do. I watched our height increasing steadily on Mike's altimeter, trying to keep calm and relaxed. Then Mike rolled open the door next to us, and we swung around so that I was hanging out over open space while he was sitting behind, getting ready to push off.

I can't really describe what it's like to be suspended outside a plane knowing that in a moment you will intentionally be jumping out, not scrambling to hold onto anything within reach. They took a quick picture of us, then Mike heaved off and suddenly we were falling into nothingness. I imagine a lot of people scream when they jump out, but I don't think I was breathing.

The first few seconds you really feel like you're falling. The air goes by you so fast it's almost impossible to draw breath. In those moments I thought to myself "If this is what it feels like the whole way down I don't think I'm going to like this..". But then Mike steadied us and as we stopped flipping around and turning over the falling feeling left my stomach and it was like we were suspended motionless, with only the wind actually moving. At some point I learned how to breathe again, and when Mike motioned to me I released my hands from where they had been clenched on my harness straps since before we left the plane.

From there on out it was fun. Amazing. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time. Partially because I was hysterically excited inside my head, and partially because the wind had caught my cheeks and held them pulled back in a wide grin. I tried to refresh my dry mouth at one point, but literally couldn't move against the force of the wind. Pascal floated around us, getting pictures from all angles. I was just looking around, trying to take it all in. It's amazing how huge the world is when you really move through it three-dimensionally. I could barely sense the ground drawing nearer, despite the fact that we were plummeting at around 200 kmph.

Mike was keeping track of us on his altimeter and at around 2000ft he pulled the chute. This seemed to jerk us upwards, and we watched Pascal shoot past us as he continued his descent. He had all but disappeared below when we finally saw his chute open. The parachute ride is very serene, and the winds have slowed enough that you can have conversation. We glided around for about 5 minutes before reaching the landing field, where we skidded in for a pretty gentle landing on our butts.


It was amazing. Thinking about it makes me breathless and heart fluttery. I'd do it again in a second.
Amazing.


Pictures on Flickr. Also some pictures of the huge cave we took a tour through at Waitomo. That was pretty awesome too, but the pictures mostly came out blurry or dark. Guess we'll have to tell you about it some other time. :)