This goal has been many years in the making. Not because it was unachievable, expensive or required a lot of planning. It was because I am petrified of heights! I have moved through abseiling, hot air ballooning and now to the big one. With my upcoming 40th birthday, it seemed like the right time to take the plunge.
I love the water, so landing on downtown Kirra Beach was a fabulous venue. The glossy spiel from the company website states that jumping from a plane is not like over looking a ledge on a building. I spent the majority of the week in denial. I figured if I didn't think about it, then I would not have time to stress. This strategy worked really well.
The evening before I took the daughter out for a last supper. It turns out that Macca's is all you need. At least it was an economical last supper, and it came with a toy. I also threw caution to the wind and inhaled an orea sundae. A few extra kilos were unlikely to make a difference in the event of an untimely death.
Regrettably after driving for several hours and being only minutes away from the training session, we were advised that the wind was not in our favour. We rescheduled to the following afternoon on the promise that the weather was going to be awesome. I took the opportunity to bring down the extended family to allow for my daughter to watch, hoping that the end result was not a life scarring splat, and more an opportunity to showcase that life is full of adventure.
The training was simple, you are likely to forget everything, so don't stress! As we arrived at the tarmac, and I spotted the plane, I am on camera quoting that the my daughter has bigger bath toys than that plane! I didn't stress as we snuggled in, or took off. The view was spectacular, and I was actually contemplating that the view alone was worth the price tag of the journey.
As I glanced over to my travelling companion, I could tell that moral support and a show of strength was in order. I actually maintained all composure until the DOOR OPENED. When you feel the wind at 12,000 feet OMG it has some power. As I saw my mate try to hang on to everything and then instantly vanish at the speed of a lego up the vacuum, I did think....well I stopped thinking! Somehow I managed to get to the door, and out on to the ledge. In my head I did it all with grace and dignity in comparison to the previously dispatched traveller.
Regardless of that, the journey was soon to begin. Nothing can explain what the feeling is of the speed of free fall. Even the web site skips this bit. It is adrenalin that rushes at this point, along with the fear of looking awful on your pictures and DVD! I couldn't actually get air into my lungs, so I actually took short sips of what could only be akin to a pregnant woman actually about to get through the final stages of contractions, huffing and puffing.
The chute opens and you are jerked back into civilisation. With a lung full of air and a semblance of composure returning you can start to appreciate the magic of the scenery. We managed to spot a sting ray which must have been huge give how high up we were. Then there was some discussion about whale watching (which is another story all together).
It was around this moment of traversing the downward path when my severe motion sickness kicked in. I threw caution to the wind, no longer worried about how my cheeks looked during a free fall, but more concerned about vomiting on the camera! Lucky I was well versed in huffing and puffing, as I returned to this as a strategy to maintain dignity.
I did actually manage to land without displacing lunch, to an adoring crowd of family support, including my pint sized fan club who ran up to "catch me". There was no words for Mummy, just a super big hug. Goal number 61 is completed.
I love the water, so landing on downtown Kirra Beach was a fabulous venue. The glossy spiel from the company website states that jumping from a plane is not like over looking a ledge on a building. I spent the majority of the week in denial. I figured if I didn't think about it, then I would not have time to stress. This strategy worked really well.
The evening before I took the daughter out for a last supper. It turns out that Macca's is all you need. At least it was an economical last supper, and it came with a toy. I also threw caution to the wind and inhaled an orea sundae. A few extra kilos were unlikely to make a difference in the event of an untimely death.
Regrettably after driving for several hours and being only minutes away from the training session, we were advised that the wind was not in our favour. We rescheduled to the following afternoon on the promise that the weather was going to be awesome. I took the opportunity to bring down the extended family to allow for my daughter to watch, hoping that the end result was not a life scarring splat, and more an opportunity to showcase that life is full of adventure.The training was simple, you are likely to forget everything, so don't stress! As we arrived at the tarmac, and I spotted the plane, I am on camera quoting that the my daughter has bigger bath toys than that plane! I didn't stress as we snuggled in, or took off. The view was spectacular, and I was actually contemplating that the view alone was worth the price tag of the journey.
As I glanced over to my travelling companion, I could tell that moral support and a show of strength was in order. I actually maintained all composure until the DOOR OPENED. When you feel the wind at 12,000 feet OMG it has some power. As I saw my mate try to hang on to everything and then instantly vanish at the speed of a lego up the vacuum, I did think....well I stopped thinking! Somehow I managed to get to the door, and out on to the ledge. In my head I did it all with grace and dignity in comparison to the previously dispatched traveller.
Regardless of that, the journey was soon to begin. Nothing can explain what the feeling is of the speed of free fall. Even the web site skips this bit. It is adrenalin that rushes at this point, along with the fear of looking awful on your pictures and DVD! I couldn't actually get air into my lungs, so I actually took short sips of what could only be akin to a pregnant woman actually about to get through the final stages of contractions, huffing and puffing.
It was around this moment of traversing the downward path when my severe motion sickness kicked in. I threw caution to the wind, no longer worried about how my cheeks looked during a free fall, but more concerned about vomiting on the camera! Lucky I was well versed in huffing and puffing, as I returned to this as a strategy to maintain dignity.
I did actually manage to land without displacing lunch, to an adoring crowd of family support, including my pint sized fan club who ran up to "catch me". There was no words for Mummy, just a super big hug. Goal number 61 is completed.
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