Long live your dreams
New York, New York
Sydney
Climbing for Dawn
Photos from Sydney
The Land of the Long White Cloud
Christmas
Jumping high, jumping higher
My birthday
North to South
4th November 2005 - posted from Taupo
I must not fear, fear is the mind killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total abliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Frank Herbert
Throughout our trip we've met a lot of people. Generally the same conservation takes place: where you're from, where you've been and where you're going. Most people are traveling around the world - half the way we're going and half the other way round. You always talk and share your experiences with others. Without a doubt, the most amazing experience that people have told us about is sky diving.
Jumping out of planes at 12,000 feet fills you with emoctions and confuses every part of your body. While the experience is much the same, what you get out of it changes between people. A medical student we met in Fiji said she hated flying and was always worried whenever she got on a plane. She enjoyed the flight for her sky dive so much she loves planes and has no fear at all. A lady in the information desk in Taupo said that whenever you think about it, you'll smile. For the rest of the day you're on such a natural high, nothing worries you.
Most people we've spoken to did it here in Taupo - currently the cheapest place to go sky diving in the world. The views here are spectacular from the ground let alone up in the air! With a lake the size of Singapore just next to the airport and a beautiful mountain range behind that including one used as Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings you can't really ask for much more.
In tandem sky diving, you're strapped to your jump master (or she, but there's only one lady in New Zealand who does tandem sky diving) once you get into the plane and remain strapped to them unitl you land on the ground. They do all the technical side - you've just got to get your head around the fact you're about to jump out of a plane. You have got quite a while in the plane to look at the scenery and have a chat. Then as you reach 12,000 feet your heart beats faster. A green light comes on and the door is opened. The air rushes past the door and all you can hear is the noise of wind and the engines of the plane. Your mouth is dry. You can see out of the plane and looking over the edge you can see the ground 12,000 feet below you. You know that soon you'll be hurtling towards it at over 200kmph. You can feel the adrenaline pumping through you. You know that once you've left the plane there is only one way down. You know that for the next 45 seconds you'll be falling towards the ground with nothing to stop you. You've just seen your friend lean over the edge and then jump out. You just saw him twist and turn as he vanishes from your sight.
Then it was my turn. My jump master Andy G moved himself and me over to the door and I dangled my feet out of the plane, watching the world below me. I was ontop of the world - above the clouds, above the mountains - above everything. All you can see is the world below you and the tiny dot that was your friend just a few seconds ago. Then we jumped.