After a long night we hop on the bus for a short drive to the Bushman's center at Pukekura. There we learn about Helicopter hunting and deer recovery for the deer farms, as well as possum trapping and possum pies.
We head on down the coast to Franz Josef Glacier Village nestled in the westland National Park, passing several kettle lakes along the way left by the glacier long ago. The Franz glacier has a depth of 45m and has been receding dramatically since the 1890's.
It is here that I jumped out of a plane!!!! I jumped with Rod at Skydive NZ over the Alps near Fox Glacier. I was right up there at 13,000ft level with New Zealand's highest mountain Mt Cook (Aorangi). The scenery as I floated, or actually sped to earth for 45 seconds...and then floated was mind blowing!!! The most intense was when the door opened at 13,000ft and I was hanging outside the plane, did a roll out the door and saw the plane flying away over my shoulder as I did a flip and realized I was speeding toward the earth!!! INTENSE!! and so exhilarating. Once the chute opens it is just quiet and peaceful as the Southern Alps. glaciers, rainforest's and the oceans, rivers and farms surround you below, unreal...as you float to the earth the sheep below and then gently land right next to the car....Loved it!!!
Franz Josef is a cool little town, just there to cater to the activities on the glacier and the tourists, fun and quaint and everyone knows everyone..fun 2 days here!!! Had a massage an hour before my jump...couldn't have had a better day!!
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