Skydiving from 12000ft!!!

Don't worry, I'll get on to the skydiving but first I'll tell you about what we got up to once we arrived in the North island of New Zealand! The ferry arrived in Wellington, New Zealand's capital where we spent one night in a town called Lower Hutt. We treated ourselves to a campsite where we had a great games room with table tennis, pool table, computer games and a huge trampoline which entertained us for the evening. The next day we headed north on the long drive to Tongariro National Park, the home of Lord of the Rings' Mordor. We stopped along the way and stayed at Okahune before an early morning start to Tongariro.

On the journey to the park we could see the volcano that was used for Mount Doom in the distance! We decided to take a days walk across the park to the Tama Lakes right to the base of Mount Doom (see pic). The walk was amazing, with the usual stunning scenery, especially the waterfalls and surrounding three volcanoes. As I walked around I tried to imagine all the cast and crew being there! It was a long but fantastic trek!

Once we got back to the van we set off to Taupo. On arriving we relaxed in the hot springs for the evening trying to take our minds off what we had planned for the next day. Skydiving was something I had planned to do (although had kept it quiet in case I chickened out!) but I don't think I really considered what I was going to do until the morning of the jump. We went to book it for that day and I guess I thought they'd be fully booked or the weather wasn't right but when the guy in the office said it was a perfect day for it and there was plenty of spaces that day my stomach turned! Then he said there were spaces on the next jump in about an hours time so we could head straight there! So before I knew it I was being suited up in a jump suit and harness and being introduced to the instructor who I'd be attached to for the jump, Mikey. He warned me that it would be very cold when we got up there, around -12 degrees but I said I don't think I'll be thinking about the cold, I'll be more worried about jumping out of a plane to which he replied, "I'm not worried about jumping out of a plane, I'm just worried about the chute opening!" This was not a good start, and Mikey turned out to be a bit of a practical joker and spent the entire time trying to scare me as he thought I was too calm. By the time I was suited up and being led to the plane I had accepted what I was about to do and I was surprised that I was not as scared as I thought I'd be but more excited! The plane was tiny, there were six people jumping, each with an instructor and some had paid for a camera man to jump with them (which doubled the price!). As I was last to get on the plane, it meant I was first to jump. It took around 15 minutes to get to the right height before the door opened. We moved into the doorway of the plane where I had to put my legs over the edge. The wind was so strong and the ground looked so far away! We were sat there for what felt like ages waiting for the all clear to jump, the picture to the left was taken a second before we actually jumped. I think I look surprisingly calm considering my legs are hanging out of a plane 12000ft in the air!

The freefall was incredible! It was an indescribable feeling, so surreal like a dream. At first we were spinning around and everything was a blur but then Mikey tapped me on the shoulder which meant I had to open my arms out, and we were then heading straight for the ground. I was glad that I had no camera man as the wind was so strong it was doing all sorts of weird stuff to my face! It was just like flying as we didn't fall as fast as I expected and it seemed ages until the chute opened which I had actually forgotten about until Mikey gave me the thumbs up and we shot up in the air so fast. As all became calm I glanced up and saw the chute was fully opened, I have to admit I was pretty relieved! The descent from then was amazing and the views of Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park were stunning. Mikey let me take control of the steering for a bit which was great and then he took over again for landing. It was great to be back on the ground! All in all it was an amazing experience and I'd love to do it again.

After a very exciting morning we spent the rest of the day relaxing before driving to our next stop, Rotorua. On the way we stopped at Craters of the Moon, a thermal park with huge steaming craters. We spent one night in Rotorua (which smelt of eggs!) then went to Waimangu Thermal Valley (which smelt even more of eggs!) where we took a walk around the geysers, the worlds largest hot spring, bubbling mud pools and steaming lakes and craters. The sulphur gas escaping is what causes the horrible smell! It was still a pretty awesome place though!

We continued our journey to Waitomo where we spent one night before taking a tour of the Waitomo Gloworm Caves. These were quite spectacular caves with stalactites and stalagmites. Further on in the cave we had to take a boat on the water to see the gloworms. The roof of the caves were covered in them like thousands of stars in a night sky, it was really beautiful!

On leaving Waitomo we decided to take a slight detour to the town of Matamata. More famously known as Hobbiton! This was where the filming of the LOTR's shire was carried out and we went on a tour of the shire where some of the set still exists. Its not quite like it was then as most of the set was removed but with a bit of imagination you can recognise the shire. Although the set isn't quite the same, the surrounding scenery of the billowing hills and the lake with the party tree is just as you'd remember from the film. I climbed the stone steps to Bilbo and Frodo's house and went inside (see pic) although the inside was filmed in a studio so its in fact just a hollow in the hill. I also stood in the same place where Bilbo puts on the ring at his party and disappears and walked the same path that Gandalf takes with his horse an cart. It was amazing to be there imagining it all and all the famous people who had been there!

I'm now in Auckland where I'm spending my last night before my flight to Fiji tomorrow. I'm really sad to be leaving New Zealand, its the most amazing country I've been!