Hey again!
I am posting ANOTHER longish update this weekend for two reasons: to post a few pictures from the past two weeks, and to tell you all that I WENT SKYDIVING!!
It was the most amazing experience. I can hardly even describe the sensation. I was so terrified to go, but once we got there, there wasn't much time for turning back. We watched a video of other people skydiving (while they tried to sell us the video/picture package), then got geared up and met our guides. We all looked so goofy in our gear (It was just four of us: Piper, Jordan, Bennett, and me).
The plane was much tinier than I had imagined! We had to sit basically with our instructors straddling us and there was just barely enough room for the 8 of us to fit on the plane floor. We flew up and around the area for about 20 minutes until we reached our final elevation of 1300 feet!! Luckily the whole time my instructor was strapping me securely into his harness and reassuring me and helping me feel less nervous. Before I knew it, we had scooted to the edge of the plane with nothing below us but endless puffy clouds. That was the most terrifying moment, right before we jumped. Then suddenly there was nothing. No plane beneath me, no sound but the rushing wind and my piercing scream as we started our freefall. I thought it would be this plummeting feeling, but instead I just felt like I was suspended in midair, with wind rushing around me. It was SO cold! I kept my eyes and mouth open and just tried to take in the feeling of the nothingness. My brain was going on overload and I did have to remind myself to breath a few times...
Then we looked down and there was this tiny circle of rainbow, which my instructor had said we would be going through. Apparently we were going about 120 mph at this point, as we reached our terminal velocity. As we approached, I could see our shadow against the clouds and then suddenly we were completely surrounded by white clouds, at which point the instructor let the parachute open and with a huge jerk, we slowed way down and drifted through the clouds. When we came out the bottom, I could see the entire world, below me. It didn't look real... like toys or a video game or something. I couldn't feel any sensation of falling, just of hanging in midair. The instructor steered us around, doing some turns, but that made me feel pretty motion sick, so then we just drifted toward the ground. Landing was actually the scariest part, because suddenly the ground was coming at us much faster than before! But we just lifted our legs and slid across the ground on our butts, and it was over, just like that! Besides feeling incredibly sick to my stomach from the whole motion sickness thing, it was literally the most amazing feeling I have ever had in my life. Completely indescribable.
On a less stoic note, I did have a failed adventure yesterday. Although maybe failed is the wrong word. Scott took some of us our for a mountain bike ride, one that promised to be very difficult: a 3000 ft ascent. I was really nervous but determined to give it a try. I lasted about 30 minutes. I remembered that I'm not very good at riding a bike, and every rock we hit bumped me right off my bike. I kept swerving near the edge of the trail, and was just feeling totally unsafe and out of control. I ended up turning back with Piper and taking our bikes back to the shop. I wish I could have conquered it, but I guess I can still give myself credit for trying right?
Now for some pictures from the last few weeks! These are from a few posts ago, so you will have to think way back to the canoe journey as you look over these pictures. Again, these are Scott's pictures, taken with his super amazing camera, and I just snagged them for my blog :) Sorry this post is so long in addition to my other long one from this week! There's just so much to share!! So... back to the river trip two weeks ago:
Whanganui River: This is what it looked like our entire journey down the river. Check out the beautiful reflections on the water!
No caption needed...just me being goofy
"The Bridge to Nowhere"
Cool view from inside a cave
Cool view from inside a cave
Can you see the face in the rock?
Awesome ferns that grow EVERYWHERE
Right after I fell into the water...right next to our campsite
Time for some yoga at the campsite
Aaaargh me mateys! It's pirate day, and I'm Captain Kenny!
Our fearless lady pirates, Piper and Margaret.
Even pirates sometimes need naps after a long day of paddling in the sun.
Epic mudfight.
Koriniti Marae, where we stayed after our canoe trip. Check out the amazing mountains in the back!
Wellington Harbor!
Aftermath of the Rubgy Sevens... everyone in Wellington got dressed up and we went out on the town to check out all the crazy costumes.
The ferry that took us to the South Island!
Blumine Island, where we volunteered last week. The clouds were always hanging out just below the tips of the mountains and hills in the distance. So cool.
In a gun implacement from WWII. It was built to defend against the Japanese, who never ended up coming.
Our journey through the bush going on our first (unsuccessful) stream survey
Although we did get to hug this HUGE tree on the way :)
Miserably trekking back through the edge of the ocean at about 11:00pm after our failed stream survey.
Measuring giant carnivorous snails!
Then we all literally passed out on the beach...that's me in the tan pants.
We did get a little sunbathing in... yes, that is a book on my face...
A fish we surveyed on our more successful venture to a stream the last night on Blumine.
And one of the huge eels we found. I touched it!!
xoxo! Katie
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