NZONE Skydive product reviews

Skydiving was one of those things I had always said I would like to do. I'm a bit of a scardy cat and I know that I could never bungee jump - but there's something about a skydive that attracts me. We were away in Central Otago with friends and one of them was going to do it, somehow I agreed!

We had to meet in the offices in the main street of Queenstown to pay and watch a promo video that showed you the packages if you wished to pay for filming and/or photography. They requested that you took their van out to the skydive site, which I found a bit of a pain. We had two vehicles and 4 children between the two families. They did allow my partner to drive (even though he was a 'jumper') and the wife of our friend also drove out. I had to catch the van as they requested. I do understand that people do not know the area and for them this is the easiest way. But being from this area, it was just a pain for us!

Anyway, once we were out at Jacksons Point the area is amazing. They have a fantastic set up with big outdoor games for the kids, and bigkids alike. There is a mercahdise shop, a computer room to view the footage if you chose to have that and some vending machines. You can go through and watch the people packing the parachutes and see others getting harnessed up. There is a big viewing area outside so the children were able to be entertained by incoming parachutes

You get attached to a pro skydiver who does all the work for you, and my man (Chris) was absolutely amazing! We piled into the plane and .he joked around making me feel better about taking this great leap of trust! The feeling of sitting on the edge of that plane with the lakes and mountains below is extraordinary. Basically you tumble out of the plane, I had to believe that Chris had my back (literally!) and had it under control. Freefalling is the most extraordinary feeling ever, its terrifying and exhilarating .... whilst trying to take it all in my minds hoping that the parachute is going to work!

And of course it did! Once that was pulled it was absolute silence up in the sky, I was able to chat to Chris as we came down really smoothly. We jumped from 12000 feet which was $329.00, you can go as high as 15,000, or as low as 9,000. I feel that 12,000 was perfect for my first. Next time I would go 15,000 as it was fantastic! Definitely something everyone should do once!