Tag Archives: thirty before thirty

#23 Go parasailing

26 Aug

Tenerife. Canary Islands. Spain. Nothing Spanish about it really.

But that also means that we get to take advantage of all the touritsy activities that make up this mini Britain away from Britain! So, parasailing. I first did this when I was about 12 and I remember it being the most relaxing and carefree experience. I even did it by myself.

Cut to 2014 and I convince Nick to do it with me tandem. I also forgot that Nick didn’t love heights.

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I didn’t feel as comfortable this time… was it the height? Was it the mature understanding of mortality and being 100m above sea? Or was it Nick asking questions about what would happen if the rope snapped or our harness broke or a big gust of wind came or the parachute collapsed?

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Anyway, we made it back down to a more civilised height and the driver had a surprise for us. Dragging us through the water! When I did this when I was 12 I was gently dipped into the water up to my knees, the water was a little cold, but it was funny and I remember enjoying it. So check out what happened this time…

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Hold onto your pants, people! We survived… but you might not!

#3 Skydiving!

21 Mar

When people ask you what it feels like to jump out of a plane and plummet towards earth at 200kms/h… you can’t really describe the feeling. You can’t find the words. Most people assume it’s like being on a descending roller-coaster for 60 seconds. It isn’t. At all. Imagine yourself floating over a large industrial size fan. You don’t feel gravity… all you feel is the wind on your face and the pressure in your ears. You have no concept of falling apart from the terrifying fact that the ground appears to be getting closer. Your screams are hardly heard and your whole life rests in the hands of someone who is strapped onto your back. Its absolutely exhilarating!

When answering the first asked questions “So, what was it like? Was it scary?”, my honest answer is that the plane ride is scarier than jumping out. You’re in a tiny tin plane with nine or so others and you’re all sitting on the floor being deafened by the single engine struggling to get you all up to 14,000ft… and gusts of wind are not this plane’s friend!

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The relief when you feel when that parachute pulls you to a more civilized speed makes you want to kiss the ground. How ironic! You’ve still got a long way to go. Thankfully the rest of the descent is a peaceful and scenic float back down to earth.

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It is truly the most surreal thing that you will do in your life. We would recommend this to anyone that is open to doing it. It is worth every single dollar that you pay… and as you can see, you MUST get the photos and DVD.

Hey, if my Mum could do it at 50, you can too!

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We organised our jump through Skydive the Beach in Wollongong, NSW, Australia.


15 February 2013