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Skydive A Glacier

The Best Place to Skydive: NZ’s South Island

By Will HullPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Banana position. Just remember to use the ‘banana position.’ Don’t screw that up, and I’ll be fine. All I’ve got to do is this one thing.

That was the mantra I kept repeating to myself as I skittishly stuck my feet out an open door at 18,000 feet. Tumbling and swearing, I couldn’t believe I’d just fallen out of a perfectly good airplane, the plane disappearing from my peripheral vision.

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A moment later, my instructor had us stabilized and free-falling. Terrified, as there was no getting back in the plane, I instantly had to change my mindset and enjoy the ride down. That minute and a half was the greatest rush of my life — the noise and buffeting from the wind — the views; pure adrenaline.

In my mid-40s, life changes found me embracing minimalism and enjoying life experiences rather than material things. When my partner answered with “Sure. Let’s do it.” to my reply to her question about what I’d like to do for my 50th birthday, suddenly I felt committed. A little nervous, but far more excited.

Figuring this skydiving idea was probably a one-shot thing, I Googled ‘best places in the world to skydive.’ Fox Glacier, New Zealand, came up #1 on most lists. Lucky for me, being in Melbourne, Australia, a flight to Queenstown, NZ, is only a 3-hr flight. I had a) never skydived and b) not yet been to New Zealand, so we made a long weekend of it. It is one of our best travel decisions ever.

And a bonus? The skydive session was cheaper in New Zealand than it would have been in Australia, and the crew we jumped with was the best. Relaxed and friendly, they were confident and professional. The staff gave us the right balance of quiet space to take in the experience, yet not letting us spend too much time in our heads fretting over what we were about to do. And a personal bonus? It forced me to get back under 120kg, fully clothed. I wasn’t about to miss out on the adventure because of a damn beer gut.

Found along the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s south island, this place has it all. Snow-capped mountains (including Mt Cook and Aoraki national park), Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers, green paddocks, rivers and farmland, and the West coast beaches of NZ out to the Pacific ocean.

We flew into Queenstown (which is also now my favourite ski resort town). With Lake Wakatipu, the mountains, and rivers, Queenstown is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise whether you prefer the snow, water, or air.

“Whenever I get stressed I just want to hop on a plane to Queenstown.” — John Travolta

Taking a drive around the south island of New Zealand is breathtaking, and with 360-degree views of pristine natural beauty, it is impossible to take a bad photograph.

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A drive from Queenstown to Fox Glacier / Franz Joseph takes a little over 4 hours, but take extra time — you’ll want to pull over and look constantly. Christchurch is also a good option for flying in and out. It’s about a 5 1/2 hour drive to this skydiving spot.

Once the parachute opens, the world becomes completely silent. Drifting slowly through the air, yet dangling like a sack of spuds in the harness, the view is a sphere of astonishing beauty.

Nothing makes you feel more alive than doing the extraordinary and facing fear (death) in the face.

And all you have to do is say ‘Yes’ — and remember the banana position (ensure your feet are clear of the airframe and any runner and lean your body back in the shape of a banana). Easy.

new zealand
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About the Creator

Will Hull

Yankee, Aussie, freelance (and whatever-inspires-me) writer. Happier.

Editor at Counter Arts, Rainbow Salad and Songstories on Medium.com. You can also find me at https://hullwb.medium.com and https://ko-fi.com/willhull.

Thanks for reading.

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