Hiii! We’re sitting in our room in the hostel in Sydney, planning for the next few days in Australia. Yesterday was an eventful day and I can just say help! OMG Emma drove so awfully horrible! I really thought we were going to crash and this was much more of a near death experience than the segway tour. Emma made the car do a gigantic jump up on the sidewalk and crashed right into the fence with a horrible speed! Luckily no police was nearby… When we come back to Sweden I think Emma has to redo her driver's license and I have to do medical education in case she has to be sewn together because of her terrible driving skills. But first I think I need a therapy course so I can cope with her after this terrifying experience, haha. And so much money wasted!!!
Today has been a wonderful day again, maybe a bit calmer than yesterday; we have skydived, met one of the world’s most famous rider and we ourselves have ridden too! Wow, I didn’t know how much I have missed the horses on this past three weeks before now… The horses were fantastic, of course, but to actually meet one of the most famous riders in the world was indescribable, not to talk about the skydiving- what an experience!
After a short breakfast in the hostel we took a bus out to the skydiving center early in the morning. There were only a few other people, which I think was really nice because I don’t like to be in large tourist groups. Anyway Emma and I decide to choose a jump on our own, I mean that we didn’t want to jump together with an instructor. For that we first had to go a course to train and learn how to handle the parachute and also master the techniques of body flight. At first it was really difficult, but after some hours both Emma and I had worked out how to handle the parachute and were ready to jump. We were really nervous and so excited!
After a short breakfast in the hostel we took a bus out to the skydiving center early in the morning. There were only a few other people, which I think was really nice because I don’t like to be in large tourist groups. Anyway Emma and I decide to choose a jump on our own, I mean that we didn’t want to jump together with an instructor. For that we first had to go a course to train and learn how to handle the parachute and also master the techniques of body flight. At first it was really difficult, but after some hours both Emma and I had worked out how to handle the parachute and were ready to jump. We were really nervous and so excited!
This was the movie about how to skydive we got to see before we tried ourselves.
Equipped with helmets, glasses and special clothing we climbed the airplane, together with about four other people who had done the same course as we had. On the way up into the air Emma and I stared out of the window, following our own thoughts. As I looked at Emma I actually thought that she looked a bit frightened, but probably I looked the same. I was so nervous! One of the instructors told us that we were going to jump from about 4 500 meters, and I just thought that that’s really high up. The view from the airplane was fantastic we could see a great bit of the lowland country and the city behind us and in front of us the ocean. I remember that I thought of how blue the water was… Haha I don’t know why, I just did it. But now I’m boring you, the only thing you want to hear about is the actual jump, right? So I’ll get to the point then…
As we had reached the right height the instructors told us to take on the harnesses and check that everything was alright with our parachutes which we had on our backs. As we were ready, two of the instructors went around among us and controlled that everything really was alright and that we hadn’t forgotten some important detail. Then the first ones jumped, one at a time the instructors helped us out of the plane's door and made sure that we knew exactly what to do. Then it was my turn, Emma made a thumb up at me and then I was in the airplane door. Two instructors helped me out and jumped together with me in the first seconds of freefall and helped me then to keep a proper body position until I myself managed to unfold my parachute.
They let me go and unfolded their own parachutes. I slowly drifted down toward the earth. First I was fully concentrated on the parachute but after a moment, when I realized that everything was okay, I looked at the fabulous view beneath me and relaxed a bit. It was a great feeling to sail through the air like a bird. It was over much too fast, via the radio connection to the instructor on the ground I got to know that I should begin to prepare for the landing. I did as he told me and landed safely on the ground. I felt my legs tremble a bit, but it felt fantastic; I had skydived for the first time in my life! As I looked up I saw another parachute coming toward us and realized that it was Emma. As she landed beside me we just looked at each other, speechless from the amazing experience.
As we had reached the right height the instructors told us to take on the harnesses and check that everything was alright with our parachutes which we had on our backs. As we were ready, two of the instructors went around among us and controlled that everything really was alright and that we hadn’t forgotten some important detail. Then the first ones jumped, one at a time the instructors helped us out of the plane's door and made sure that we knew exactly what to do. Then it was my turn, Emma made a thumb up at me and then I was in the airplane door. Two instructors helped me out and jumped together with me in the first seconds of freefall and helped me then to keep a proper body position until I myself managed to unfold my parachute.
They let me go and unfolded their own parachutes. I slowly drifted down toward the earth. First I was fully concentrated on the parachute but after a moment, when I realized that everything was okay, I looked at the fabulous view beneath me and relaxed a bit. It was a great feeling to sail through the air like a bird. It was over much too fast, via the radio connection to the instructor on the ground I got to know that I should begin to prepare for the landing. I did as he told me and landed safely on the ground. I felt my legs tremble a bit, but it felt fantastic; I had skydived for the first time in my life! As I looked up I saw another parachute coming toward us and realized that it was Emma. As she landed beside me we just looked at each other, speechless from the amazing experience.
Still a bit shaky we took the bus back to Sydney to eat a late lunch. We talked both at the same time about exactly how fantastic it had been and I think that the feeling is indescribable if you haven't skydived yourself. We had planned for a peaceful afternoon with good food and just doing nothing, but then I saw a small woman with brown hair coming through the door to the coffee shop. I pushed discreetly at Emma and whispered something like “isn’t that Edwina Tops-Alexander?”. Emma nodded and we both looked curious at the woman, trying to identify her without staring. We decided that it must be Edwina Tops-Alexander. Wow so cool, we have met one of the greatest riders in the world!
Do you know who Edwina Tops-Alexander is? I hope you do, but in case you don’t I’ll tell you a bit about her… She is one of the best show jumpers in the world and she is ranked as number 18 in the world and number one in Australia. She has competed in the world championship and in the olympic games! So we can just say, she’s really a good rider!
Do you know who Edwina Tops-Alexander is? I hope you do, but in case you don’t I’ll tell you a bit about her… She is one of the best show jumpers in the world and she is ranked as number 18 in the world and number one in Australia. She has competed in the world championship and in the olympic games! So we can just say, she’s really a good rider!
After our lunch we decided that a afternoon at the hotel room was far too boring for us, haha. I managed to persuade Emma to a tour riding in the bush outside Sydney, or probably she just had missed the horses as much as I have.
It was awesome to be around horses again after so many weeks. The tour however was a tour for beginners… We had two guides, or what to call them, with us and about five other tour riders. Even if the horses just walked it was nice to sit on a horse again. But I couldn’t help thinking about how fantastic it would feel to ride in a fast counter over the open landscape…
Altogether it was an amazing day. Right now we’re sitting in our hostel room planning for the next days. As you probably know by now, we had planned for another few days in Sydney, but although it’s really fantastic here we have decided to change our plans. Tomorrow we’re going to take a helicopter to the famous Ayers Rock in the centre of Australia to learn even a bit more about the old culture and maybe some more history of the country. Then we’re going to travel to Cairns and there we’ll have two great days diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I’m so excited for our next adventures!!! :) //AK
It was awesome to be around horses again after so many weeks. The tour however was a tour for beginners… We had two guides, or what to call them, with us and about five other tour riders. Even if the horses just walked it was nice to sit on a horse again. But I couldn’t help thinking about how fantastic it would feel to ride in a fast counter over the open landscape…
Altogether it was an amazing day. Right now we’re sitting in our hostel room planning for the next days. As you probably know by now, we had planned for another few days in Sydney, but although it’s really fantastic here we have decided to change our plans. Tomorrow we’re going to take a helicopter to the famous Ayers Rock in the centre of Australia to learn even a bit more about the old culture and maybe some more history of the country. Then we’re going to travel to Cairns and there we’ll have two great days diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I’m so excited for our next adventures!!! :) //AK