Skydiving in the Bay of Islands

Last updated on 8 March 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase with one of these links, I recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Policy.

Did you know you can go Skydiving in the Bay of Islands?

 

My friend, R, is here in New Zealand from America until August, and one of the things she wanted to do before she headed back, was skydive. Especially, skydiving over the Bay of Islands. So last Saturday we got up early and drove to Kerikeri, which is about 3.5 hours from Auckland.

The company is called Skydive Bay of Islands, and it’s just next to Kerikeri airport. We arrived at a good time, and R got into her hilarious red suit and was briefed about all the safety aspects. Then they got into the little plane and off they went.

Our other friend and I sat on the picnic tables at the Skydiving place and ate snacks while we waited for her to jump. It didn’t take long, and soon we could see a little dot getting bigger and bigger as she plummeted to the earth. Thankfully, the parachute opened and they glided gently back down to the solid ground.

 

 

 

 

Would she skydive again?

According to R, it’s not something she would do again, but she’s glad she did it.

 

Her big thing was the falling part, between leaving the plane and the parachute deploying. Once the parachute is open and you feel that safety, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Bay of Islands, but before then all you’re thinking, said R, is ‘I’m gonna die I’m gonna die I’m gonna die’. Which, to be honest, is fair enough. That’s a 12,000 feet drop. That’s just over 3.6km … down.

 

And would I ever skydive?

 

I think so! It’s one of the only ‘extreme’ things I would do. If I had a superpower, it would be flying. Definitely. And I feel like skydiving (and perhaps para and hang gliding) are the closest I’m going to go that. I reckon they should make the suits look like superhero outfits. Just a suggestion.

I’ve just been having a conversation with another friend about this, and he said he’d much rather bungee jump because you’re attached not only to the rope but to the bridge too. That is the exact opposite of my thinking. I can’t stomach the idea of having a rope tied to me and jumping/falling/getting pushed off a bridge. It’s the whiplash-like effect that gets me too. That pull back when you leap and get the end of your rope. I feel like that saying – getting to the end of your rope – was probably in reference to bungee jumping.

(Okay, so it wasn’t. Apparently “it originated from the tethering of horses to eat, but not allowing them to run free. So, [a] horse would eat in the area his rope allowed. When the horse ate all the grass that was easy, he then was stretching and eating in the area that was ‘at the end of his rope.’ ” (source)  but I like to think it’s my reason.)

I like to think I’d love the falling feeling and pretending I’m a superhero as I fall to fend off foes…but in reality, it might be different. When I get around to doing it (and saving up  – it’s expensive!) I’ll let you know.

Have you ever skydived? Or something similar? What was it like? Give me all the details!