This post is not enough to express how awesome this experience was. See how overjoyed I was? My skydiving expert was super chill though, he does this for a living! What a dream.
It is safe to say that New Zealand is one of the best places I’ve ever been to! I highly recommend taking a holiday there, as it is totally worth it. Why? There’s great food, people, scenery, and most importantly: adventure! For those adventure and thrill-thirsty people out there, New Zealand is the place to be.
Skydiving is one of the many nail-bitting activities you can do in the land of the kiwis, and one that I urge you all to try. Yes, it is not something you can casually decide to do, unless you’re Indiana Jones, but again- it is all worth it! We went to NZONE Skydive (www.nzoneskydive.co.nz) as it is well reviewed, and it did live up to our expectations. All the staff, including the professional divers were just lovely. It really helps since you get really nervous doing the jump! Why go skydiving in New Zealand? The view is priceless. It is basically a fairytale come to life.
Don’t worry, you won’t be jumping out of that plane alone! Of course, a skydiving expert will be accompanying you. He assists and operates your parachute, so you can sit back, relax, hang, and enjoy the breathtaking view!
They also lend you markers so that you can write messages across your hands and show them off to the camera while you are airborne as seen in the photo above and here below.
For me, the scariest part was actually jumping off the plane. I was all calm and excited while we boarded the plane and while flying up, but as soon as the skydiving expert pushed ourselves towards the door, I started to regret it. All I could see outside were clouds and no sign of land. I was then instructed to face up in preparation for the drop, then the next thing I knew I was flying! So guys, take it from me, I thought it was really scary but it wasn't! The fun and breathtaking view took all my fear away in an instant.
I want to talk about the height options and the photo packages as well. I went with family and friends and we all took a mix of options which we all can learn from. There are three height options: 9,000 ft., 12,000 ft., and 15,000 ft. which costs $500, $600 and $700 NZD respectively. A hundred-dollar difference is tempting, and it is a reasonable price if you want more flying time. But in my friend’s experience, the whole duration was too long that she started to feel really dizzy and enjoyed it less than the rest of us who went for the 12,000 ft. But that can depend on personal motion tolerance. Although none of us tried the 9,000 ft. distance, based on our experience, we can conclude that it is the best distance: not too long and not too short.
Let’s talk photos and videos. There are three options: (1) handicam at $199 NZD, (2) free-fall photographer at $289 NZD, and (3) which is a combination of both options 1 and 2 priced at $359 NZD.
So option number 1 is taken from a GoPro that your professional skydiver partner wears. You will receive photos and videos from that perspective. I chose option 1, so those are examples of the handicam perspective.
Option number 2 is obviously more pricey because a separate professional skydiver dives with you and your guide to take videos and photos of you. This option is of course better because you get a cinematic effect. Here are beautiful examples of option 2 from my cousin (Lauren Go – check her website at www.thewanderingjellyfish.com)
Option 3 is for those extra people out there who want to get the most of their experience- you go guys!
But what do I recommend? Option 2 of course! I think it is enough, but then again, get option 3 if you have extra cash to spare.
Bottom line is I rate this whole experience as 5 out of 5 stars! TRY IT! You will never regret it.
Oh! And before I end this post, I want to share the funny and awkward moment I had with my skydiving expert where he tried to give me a high five and I completely ignored it. And I only knew when I watched the video that came with my photo package.
#steentravel #newbie #skydiving #travel
'Till my next post, folks! Stay gold.
xx Erica