Can you say 'kreizii?!'

Here is where I went a little crazy. Somehow, I was convinced to jump out of a plane. In Abel Tasman, we had to option to go skydiving again. Meryl and Matt, who didn't go in Taupo were planning on going, and somehow I ended up in the car with them as well, heading down the twisty road to the Abel Tasman skydive site. Needless to say I was scared beyond belief! I still do not know how I did it - it was like someone else was controlling my body and I was just frozen watching from the sidelines.
(Pretending to be happy..)

Unfortunately we arrived at a bad time so the three of us could not go up in the plane altogether. I was the lucky - or should I say unlucky - one who got to go first. They said that since I was so terrified it would be better to get it over with rather than sit around thinking about it..so within 5 minutes of arriving, I was geared up in my jump suit with a hat, gloves, goggles, and a stomach full of nerves. (They also said not to worry about freaking out once I was up there because everyone ends up jumping and that I'd be fine - the only reason everyone ends up jumping is because you have no choice being hooked up to someone else who is pulling you out of the plane!)

We climbed into the little plane where I got to sit right beside the jump-door, where I read and re-read the signs - 'door may open in flight,' 'emergency exit,' 'slide door to open...' These did not make me feel any better. However, singing in loud screaming voices "lalalalala" with my cameraman and the other man I'd be jumping with (who was connected to me for the jump) did help a little bit.
(Trying not to leave the comfort of the plane)


I thought I'd be fine by the time we had reached 13,000 feet, until I watched a girl who was jumping on her own pop out of the plane and fall away. At that point, I grabbed onto the bar that you hold onto during take-off, and would not let go. They had to pry my hands off of that, but then I immediately grabbed onto the edges of the door. My feet were hanging out of the plane, I was trying to lean back in screaming "No, I don't want to!! Nooo.." A second later I was falling towards the ground. After 9,000 feet of freefall at 200km/h (about 57seconds) the parachute was opened. We then had 4,000 left to fall, but we floated down peacefully with the parachute. I even got to control it so we went in a couple of circles on the way down.

(When my camera man was making faces at me I thought it was only fair to do the same to him)

Overall, it was a really cool experience, but I don't plan on ever doing it again. I survived the one jump..I don't want to push my luck!