Skydiving Over The Whitsunday Islands In The Great Barrier Reef

I have talked for years about skydiving, but luckily my kids never had the desire. When I went to visit my son while he was in school in Australia we decided to do some traveling and while in the Whitsunday Islands my son said we needed to try skydiving so I said sure !

We planned it for the last day there. But when that day came, I suddenly realized we did not have running shoes and we probably couldn’t skydive in flip-flops, but Max called and they said they supplied extra shoes. Then I remembered that we were flying the next day and I thought there was some rule about not skydiving for 24 hours before you get on a plane, but Max told me that was scuba diving, not skydiving. Well, I continued to think of a few more reasons, but my son called me out – he said Mum, you have been the most independent, strongest, courageous woman I have ever met in my life…unless you chicken out on me now. He got me!

I chose the lowest jump – 8000 feet and he chose the highest – 14,000.

Now I am claustrophobic and have a fear of heights, so imagine my terror as we climbed into a tiny prop plane that was way too small to even stand in…

As we took off over the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef the view was amazing.

I was trying not to think about this crazy thing I was about to do. The instructor I was strapped to for the tandem dive asked me how I was doing and my answer was still terrified but I am going to do this.

When he asked me if there was anything I wanted to say to the camera I said Jessica, in case I die, remember I love you and this was all your brother’s idea.

As we got higher, the islands got smaller and smaller, the clouds even started to look like tiny little puffballs way below the plane; I think I could even see the earth starting to curve we were so high.

Then the guide pushed us over to the door, said 1, 2, 3, and pushed me out.

I was in sheer panic. The look on my face the first 5 seconds was true terror, and then I suddenly realized that I was en route and if this was going to be my last 2 minutes on earth, I might as well enjoy it. So I started to enjoy this feeling of complete freedom.

Freefalling through the air for 55 seconds with the most spectacular view in the world is something that I cannot describe. This feeling of freedom is what it must be like when a bird soars thru the air.

Then all of a sudden, just as I was really enjoying this, the chute opened for the last 2000 feet, and we glided down the rest of the way. Everything felt like it was in slow motion – wheeling and turning slowly down.

When I landed I was on a complete natural high which I think stayed with me for about a week. Nothing could annoy me and nothing could aggravate me – even when they told me I jumped from the full 14,000 feet.

I was just happy with a grin plastered on my face for the next week or so. Perhaps it was the sheer joy of being alive. But stepping out and overcoming my fear of jumping out of a perfectly good plane at 14,000 feet over the ocean was worth it all