4Play for a day!!!

I know I have a lot of catching up to do, but before I start from the beginning I want to tell you all about my epic adventure today!!! Six of my fellow interns and I are in Taupo, NZ and found a great adventure package called 4Play (go ahead and giggle now). For $500 (plus a few dollars more for video and pictures later) we got to go bungee jumping, ride in a helicopter, jetboat, and skydive. Today was soooo amazing!!

The day started with the bungee, the activity I was the most excited about beforehand but also the most nervous about when it was my turn to take the plunge. Pictures will be up soon, but for now I can tell you that the bungee site was unbelievably gorgeous. The water here is completely see-through and depending on where you are it ranges from robin egg blue to seafoam green in color. Three other interns did the bungee with me, and I was third in line to jump. Honestly, until I was the next in line to go, I was calm as could be and very excited. The moment I neared the platform to have the bungee cord strapped to me, however, was when I started to panic. Check out my video in a day or two and you'll see what I mean. My heart was racing and my legs shaking as I was strapped into the bungee (only my legs down mind you...my upper half was completely free). I inched toward the ledge as they instructed but needed a little encouragement to place my arms above my head. As they counted down, I felt what a suicide jumper must feel before taking the final plunge. Even though others had gone before me, I was about to jump down NZ's highest water touch off a platform 47 meters from the Waikato River. I was terrified. Finally, after what seemed like ages of waiting, I leaned forward and was suddenly free-falling toward the water below me. The thrill was exhilarating. I regret closing my eyes for the first second or two, but after opening them I got to see a glimpse of the cliffs and foliage around me before plunging into the water below. I was soaked from the waist down (or up since I was upside down at the moment), but the thrill of the jump overtook my soaked and frozen body. I was then lowered toward the water again, where two friendly Kiwis helped me onto a boat and brought me safely to shore.

Part two of the adventure was a helicopter ride over the gorgeous Lake Taupo, Waikato River, Mt Ruapehu, Craters of the Moon and Huka Falls. It was a lot to take in at once and the view took my breath away. Also, the helicopter ride was a great experience in and of itself, as I had never been in such a small plane before. It was pleasant, but more turbulent ride than I'm used to and more noisy as well. I got to wear a pair of headphones with a mic to communicate with the pilot.

The helicopter ride brought us to part three of our adventure, jetboating. I wasn't sure how much of a thrill it would be...what was a boat compared to jumping off a cliff or out of a plane??...but it ended up being a fun and slightly terrifying ride. Our driver was a really funny guy and every minute or so would have us doing 360degree spins along the Waikato River! I managed to get a few good videos of our trip, but almost ruined my phone by trying to take a video close to the falls. We sped along the river and made a stop at Wairakei Thermal Power Station, Huka Prawn Park, the Aratiatia Dam and Huka Falls, the most visited natural attraction of New Zealand. The water was the lightest blue I had ever seen.

The final activity in our 4Play package was skydiving, and it was by far my favorite. I paid a little extra on this part of the trip to get a video taken and to jump from 15,000ft instead of 12,000ft...and it was definitely worth it! I was second to last on the plane to jump, and the fall out of the plane was way easier than my jump off a platform earlier in the day. I was jumping in tandem with a professional skydiver, so it wasn't up to me when we got to make the plunge. We snapped a picture, he pushed forward and soon we were plummeting toward the Earth. We got to free fall for a full 60 seconds, during which our camera man would fly below us to get some footage, and also during which I got to feel a rush of adrenaline while taking in the spectacular scenery around me. The first part of the jump was such a rush, but it almost got better as the parachute was pulled. I went from wind rushing in my face and my heart racing as I was speeding toward the ground to complete peacefulness and silence as I hung suspended in the air looking at the view before me. I could see above the mountains in the distance and could see the snowy peaks of Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. I could also see all of Lake Taupo, and Huka Falls and geothermal springs in the distance. I wanted to stay up there forever.

After today, there is no way I can live my life apart from all the natural beauty around me. I hope to skydive and go on more grand adventures in the future. The rush of the moment, along with the breath-taking views was like nothing I've ever experienced before!