Lifestyle and Leisure
White knuckle adventures
Having never been of the white knuckle persuasion, Andrew Collier surprised himself by signing up to do a sky-dive in Taupo, on the North Island.
Lord of the Rings, Bungee Jumping, the Haka, and Sky-Diving. Four of the most common things associated with New Zealand, and New Zealand has fully utilised this fact with Lord of the Rings Tours, traditional Maori Hangi evenings, and the white knuckle towns of Queenstown and Taupo.
I had never done anything remotely white knuckle before, being the person who got lumbered with the coats at Alton Towers while everybody went on the rides. This all changed with my arrival in Taupo on the North Island though. There is something that I myself and others have experienced when being in another country, of trying to push your own boundaries and in a way, immerse yourself in the activities associated with said countries. New Zealand is famed as a destination for lovers of extreme sports, and this lead to my decision to do a sky-dive. The reality of throwing yourself out of a plane strapped to a crazy Kiwi adrenaline junkie at 10,000 feet is something that only peculiarly becomes apparent when you are signing the document that states the company running the experience are not responsible if you die during the dive.
A people-carrier picks you up from the town itself to drive you the short distance to the compound where the day's events will pan out. Everybody is extremely enthusiastic about the dive you are about to do and tells you it will be the best experience of your trip. This is harder to swallow before the dive has actually taken place. I arrived at the hangar where we were weighed and paired up with a person of similar build and weight to be your tandem partner. Being a broad-built 6 foot 2inches tall, I was paired with a huge instructor called Brad who proceeded to tell me about all the jumps he had done and all the places where he had done them. My mind was still dwelling on the inevitability of the jump ahead, when a curious thing started to happen.
All of my nerves began to be replaced with a raging sense of adrenaline pumping through my veins, so much so that I was eager to get on the plane and do the dive. I had chosen to do the dive package that included a DVD, T-Shirt, exit photos, and dive photo stills. I figured this was something I would not be doing on a regular basis and so went to town on the add-ons. My group and I boarded the plane and took off– there was really no backing down now. Thankfully, the adrenaline was still there and I chatted animatedly with Brad, who talked me through all the best ways to position myself when landing and mid-dive.
Finally the time came to do the jump and I was third in-line to hurl myself from the plane. It got to my turn and I dangled my legs out of the plane, looking at the fast-moving land below me. We were very high up off the ground and I could see for miles and miles. Brad shuffled a little more so that I was completely out of the plane and only attached to it and Brad himself by a harness. A couple of moments passed and then we jumped. There were so many feelings that occurred to me in those first few moments, it is difficult to explain them coherently. It was a mixture of adrenaline, enjoyment, sheer terror, and something else that you probably only experience when you are doing a dive. The free-fall part of the dive lasts for about 40 seconds but it seems a lot longer. As soon as it becomes enjoyable and the feeling of terror subsides slightly, the next part of the dive occurs. Brad told me that the opening of the parachute would mean we shot up in the air before starting the slower descent to the ground. Sure enough, we shot into the air at great speed and then began to slow down, allowing me to take in the scenery, including both coasts of the North Island, and, brilliantly, Mount Doom from the Lord of the Rings films. Soon the field where we were to land came into view, along with my friend who was taking pictures and waving madly. I lifted my legs into the landing position and it was all over. After thanking Brad and finding the other divers all in one piece too, we all shared a Top Gun moment as we walked, possibly in slow-motion, across the hangar to watch the DVD playback.
The feeling of euphoria post-dive is unbeatable, and had lasted for a long time after the dive was over and we reached Taupo again. Indeed the dive even influenced my dreams the following night, leading to a whole new sense of euphoria once the morning came. I was incredibly glad I had decided to do a sky-dive and that it was well worth the money. The result of all that adrenaline meant that I vowed to be more adventurous when it came to taking part in white-knuckle experiences in the future– the coats would have to look after themselves.
For more information about white knuckle activities visit:
Taupo Tandem Skydiving
There are, of course, other ways to scare yourself silly in New Zealand. It doesn't have the tag of adventure capital of the world for nothing. Here are some of the other options to get that all important adrenaline-rush...
Bungee Jumping in Queenstown:
The birthplace of the bungee, Queenstown offers bungees over the river (incidentally just down from where the Lord of the Rings filmed the boat-ride through the Valley of the Kings, fact fans) and 400 metres over the town itself. Not for the faint-hearted.
Zorbing in Rotorua:
If the thought of hurling yourself down a hill in a large hamster-ball (added soapy water is an optional extra), then Zorbing could be the right 'sport' for you; situated in Rotorua the zorb balls can hold more than one person and run down tracks.
White Water Rafting in Queenstown:
Lots of options to chose from with this sport; from the Kawarau River which suits beginners, to the Shotover River Heli option, which consists of helicopter rides, large rapids, and even a tunnel to navigate through. Available in summer or winter.
Black Water Rafting in Waitomo:
A really unique experience, this particular adrenaline-rush sees you swim, abseil, and clamber through the Waitomo Caves, home to the Arachnocampo luminosa glowworm or Waitomo glowworm. Riding on an inflatable tyre through the caves, visitors can chose from a three– or five – hour trip.
Sky Jumping in Auckland:
Auckland's Sky Tower; magestic, grand, and also home to a company which specialises in letting people throw themselves off the top for money. Different from the bungee jumping due to the swift landing and no hanging around. There is also no pull-back after the initial jump.
Sky Walking in Auckland:
If hurling yourself off the building does not appeal, then why not have a walk around the edge of the building's roof, held on with nothing but a rope. A guide explains the history of the tower and of the city itself, whilst no doubt trying to make you feel a little more at ease.
Chilling out in Auckland:
Finally after all that adrenaline: head to the Minus 5 Bar in Auckland for an cocktail in a bar made entirely from ice, the perfect way to relax...
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