Skydiving

One of the main events I was looking forward to in Australia was jumping from 15,000 feet out of a plane! Today I finally did it! 

I woke up at 3am as I was nervous the jump was going to be canceled today due to the storm that had rolled in yesterday but luckily I had received no texts about it being canceled so I rolled over to sleep until 4:30 am. We were picked up at 5 am for our jump today and it was still dark outside. The sky was occasionally lit up with the occasional lightning strike. I was so scared our jump would get canceled! When we arrived at the office, we were shown an instructional video, fitted with our harnesses, then assigned a tandem skydive instructor before we headed to the airport.

The little skydive plane had its engine already running when we arrived. My instructor and I hopped in first which meant we would be jumping last. Unlike normal planes that have seats, this one just had two benches that we sat on straddled. The instructor then hooked us into the seatbelt and eventually attached himself to me. I was facing backwards for take-off which was a first for me and crossed my fingers I would not get sick already. It was raining when we took off but the plane took us past the clouds to a clearing where it was dry at the moment for the jump. There were 4 of us and 4 instructors plus one extra jumper to record full footage for Lexi. 

By the time we were ready to jump, the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon causing the sky to turn an orange color. The instructor opened the side door and one by one the others started literally falling out. A shock of excitement went through me as I geared up for my turn. I swung my legs under the plane and leaned my head back on the instructor's shoulder and we were free falling. The instructor did a turn as we jumped out of the plane which was unexpected and then we were free falling. It was so thrilling to just be falling! The wind was strong and swept by my face as I opened my mouth to smile and give a wahoo! It felt so good. About halfway through the jump I felt a jolt and the position of the instructor changed. I was no longer facing downwards but now seated upright. The straps had become so tight against my body I stood on the instructor's feet while he loosened them a little bit so I could breathe. There was still some uncomfortableness in the leg straps but I wasn't able to adjust them. We were just coasting following the free falling feeling. I was even able to have a full conversation with the instructor about how many jumps he has done. He has done about 17,000 jumps total! The views from above were amazing! It was as if I was floating amidst the clouds. Everything from the houses below looked so small. For some reason I had expected to be jumping above the Great Barrier Reef as it was advertised but I realized then we would have to be jumping above water. The instructor pointed out that the fields below were sugarcane fields and the rivers below were infested with crocodiles. Note to self to not swim in any of the waters here. The few minutes or seconds that we were floating were spectacular. It felt so tranquil and like all time had stood still. I really loved those moments with my head literally in the clouds. 

I was nervous about landing but the instructor told me exactly when to hold onto my knees and bring my feet up so that he touched the ground first and he was able to stop us. We landed in an open grassy field sliding onto the soft earth. I barely slid so it turned out all fine. I was cheesing so hard and the instructor on his GoPro said “well I think that smile says it all”. Skydiving was so fun and I would definitely do it again! 

Following our dive we grabbed brekkie as they call it at a cafe called Candy. Candy was a cute cafe with a hipster plant vibe that I loved. It was one of our rare included meals. I ordered a granola with yogurt and fruit. My meal came so perfectly plated and was an enormous portion considering I usually eat just a pastry for breakfast. It was very good and such a hearty meal to start the day. 

We headed off to the Daintree Rainforest where we would spend the whole day. The Daintree Rainforest is the largest rainforest in Australia and is a sacred place for the Aboriginal people. When we arrived we were greeted by an Aboriginal man who took us through a smoking ceremony. We all gathered around a large fire and he added some sandalwood and had us walk through the smoke as he changed some words in his language. He then told us about his totem and his color. In his culture, everyone has their own unique totem and colors and he painted his on his arm as a demonstration. He then sent around a couple of plants from the jungle he had collected for their healing properties. The first was these leaves that when crumbled turn into soap with water. The second was the stem of a tree when exposed can be used to rub on the skin to prevent illness. It was very interesting to see how the people used to live utilizing what resources they had available to themselves. 

Next we went on a short guided walk of the rainforest. Just last week there had been a cyclone that had caused many landslides throughout the forest and displaced many large boulders. This was evident from the large random clearings in the jungle. Since we had a guide, it was fascinating to learn about the different plants that grow in the jungle. Everything in the jungle has one goal - reach the light. There was one palm tree that had its roots in the ground but then grew tiny ropes with spikes so it could wrap itself around other trees and reach the light. It was the same type of plant that is used to hang off of in Avatar and the guide said the character was not screaming with glee but rather pain due to the small spikes. She showed us which plants were hollow and which ones contained water inside of them in case there was a shortage. Really fascinating were these ferns that grew as nests up in the branches of the other trees. The jungle life all relies upon one another for nutrients and to grow. 

Due to all the rain, the river was fast flowing through the jungle and we saw many smaller waterfalls that had come up. There was a clearing where many people were swimming in the rapids as well. We walked up to a hanging bridge where there were many trails branching off the main road. How I wished I could have gone on a longer hike! The biggest thing that irritates me about traveling with a group is how surface level each activity is. For instance I would have loved to have spent more time in the jungle and wandering the trails. 

Our next activity was a cultural immersion one at an art gallery. The artist was an Aboriginal man who is known for the traditional dot painting. He explained a little bit about the history of dot painting and the significance of each color before we were allowed to try our hand at making our own dot painting. I chose to do a turtle design and at the end we put all of ours together to admire our art. 

Before we left he serenaded us by playing a traditional Aboriginal instrument that was like a long wooden cylinder that stretched from his mouth to the floor. He said that with it he could imitate nearly every animal sound.