free-fallin'

As we were driving over to Taupo from Rotorua, we were anxiously watching the fog which really didn’t seem to be lifting. We called the skydive place, and they said the fog would burn off and we should still be on, so we went there, signed our lives away, and sat anxiously waiting for our jump. We were joined by about ten other jumpers, and went in and watched a video and got instructions…and then were told the fog hadn’t burned off, and we should come back in an hour and a half.

So, we drove around for a bit, visited the Huka Prawn Park - the world's only geothermally heated shrimp farm, a honey store with tastings, and my favorite - camping/outdoor stores. We called the skydive place at the appointed time, found out we'd be pushed back again, and decided to find some lunch. Thai looked good, so we ordered...and then realized it probably wasn't the best option, a bit spicy and heavy for a small plane ride. Oh well, too late, it tasted good anyway.

When we got back to the skydive place we had to wait around for a bit, drank some tea, decided that was a bad idea, then got suited up and paired with our instructors. My tandem instructor was 'Big M' - Mauritio, a 6'4" Brazilian guy, and Ann had Steve, an American who works as an instructor in Chicago in the NZ off-season. After some cheesy photos, we boarded the little pink plane and then I started to wonder what I had gotten myself into.

Ann convinced me we wanted to do the 15,000ft jump for a longer freefall, so we were shoved in the very back - all eight of us on the plane fit in like puzzle pieces! I was first one in, so last one out. Since we were doing the higher jump, we watched the other two pairs go at 12,000 before climbing 3,000 more feet - with oxgen tubes shoved up our noses. Sexy. So there we are at 15,000...me repeating the instructions over and over in my head ('be the banana' - keep your head up and back, and tuck your legs back, and DO NOT EVER obstruct the instructor's hands. ok, think i got it), and looked at how tiny everything looks on the ground. Then the door slid open, the light went green and Ann was out.

Half a minute later, my turn. It's cold up that high! I moved to the edge of the seat, then somehow I was out of the plane, tumbling, flipping - wait, flipping? I don't remember that being part of the briefing - and falling, falling. Then the chute opened, and we slowed, and made lazy circles in the sky. Lake Taupo was blue and beautiful beneath us, and the ride was actually relaxing now that the chute was open and, as far as I could tell, functioning well. I was amazed how well the guys are able to steer - we all landed right by the photographer at the jump building, with perfect form - I'd been focusing on that for a while, pulling my legs up long before I had to, remembering the two people I know who've broken legs/vertebrae on landing! Everything was smooth, though, and Ann and I barely had time to pose for one quick photo in our jump gear before being whisked away to get the next set of jumpers ready. By the time Ann and I paid, our instructors were back on the ground after another jump!

Unfortunately, things didn't go so smoothly with the camping part of the day. Tired after the day's activities and drive, we searched for an hour for the Piropiro DOC campsite in Pureora Forest Park , seeing signs for it but never finding it even after we drove to the very end of the road. We were tempted to just pull over next to a paddock, but finally decided to backtrack to Ngaherenga, another DOC campsite 40km away (all hostels and holiday parks were closed for the night) but still in the same forest park, pulled in, set up camp, made a quick pasta dinner, and went to bed so we can get up early tomorrow for 'Rap, Rock and Raft' - a day-long cave adventure with black-water (underground) tubing, rappeling, rock climbing and caving in Waitomo.