Looking across the horizon and seeing nothing but an endless expanse of blue. The wind whips at your hair. Clouds drift across, lazily floating by to no place in particular. You look below from your lofty perch and between the wisps of fluffy white you see what could be another realm; an enchanting place of emerald landscapes, snow-capped mountains and crystal clear waters. Take a minute to soak up the view from 12,000 feet above the ground. And then you leap. Not quite a leap of faith as it were but one which you trust the person strapped to your back and the amazingly simple, yet lifesaving device known as the parachute; welcome to the world of tandem skydiving in Christchurch!
So first things first; if you are heading to this part of New Zealand planning to experience the pure adrenaline rush of skydiving then make sure you find centrally located accommodation to base yourself at. Motels in Christchurch such as Country Comfort Belmont Christchurch make a great option when it comes to both affordability and convenient location.
Next step is to find a sky diving company operating in Christchurch or the Canterbury region that gives you the chance to enjoy the thrills of free fall. One of the advantages of tandem skydiving is the fact that you do not have to go through extensive training and of course the added benefit of having a trained and experienced sky diver joining you on the “ride” definitely helps to calm any nerves.
Generally you will receive a relatively short briefing which covers topics such as the manner in which you will be harnessed to your instructor, the way in which the parachute will deploy and what to do and not do during freefall and landing. Once that is complete it is time to take to the skies.
There is inevitably a sense of nervousness as the plane ascends though adrenaline junkies will welcome the rush one feels as you near the jump-off point. Once you reach your point of “departure”, it is time to enjoy the view, but not for too long as you get ready to leap, and experience the true power of gravity while freefalling 200kph towards the spectacular scenery below!
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.