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Happy 30th Birthday to Me- Skydiving Over Great Barrier Reef

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Sophie Tabouel

Few weeks ago I met a Japanese girl who had just done her first skydive with Tandem Cairns and she had the biggest smile that I had ever seen.

I was thinking that “If this is what skydiving does to you then I must try it out” and made a booking for myself and my husband on the very same evening. It was also a good excuse not to have a party for my 30^th birthday and to do something really memorable to celebrate that milestone.

Australia’s Highest Skydive

Although I am terrified of heights and can’t even take off in a plane without getting sweaty palms I thought I will give skydiving a go because I am jumping from such heights that it is impossible to get the so called “ground rush”- an optical illusion that the ground is abruptly rushing up to meet you.

I am booking for a 15 000ft (approximately 4.5km highest possible skydive in Australia) and the beach landing on picturesque Etty Bay which is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) by road from the township of Innisfail, 20 minutes’ drive from Paronella Park and about 1.5h drive South from Cairns in Far North Queensland.

Guard Your Picnic Basket from Cassowaries

Etty Bay is known as the place where you can often see the endangered Cassowary (Australia’s largest flightless bird) walking on the beach and raiding through holidaymakers picnic baskets, looking to add some variety to its everyday diet. Estuarine crocodiles and monitor lizards are also sometimes seen near the bay.

Going All Out

Although it is possible to jump from as low as 10 000ft and land on a paddock, I am thinking that in case I only do this once I may as well go all out and make the most of my experience. After all- I couldn’t imagine a better place for skydiving than jumping out over the Great Barrier Reef and landing on a beautiful tropical secluded beach.

I am making sure I will get the video and photo package to savour some memories and to have the opportunity to brag of course, I know I would regret it forever if I didn’t.

8000 Jumps and Counting

Although the transfers from Cairns CBD are included, I opt for a self-drive to Innisfail (Mundoo) airport to have the flexibility to stay in Etty Bay and catch up with some friends after my jump.

Once we check-in (weighing, filling in some forms) it is time to meet our instructors and put our harness and safety glasses on. My instructor Damo has done more than 8000 skydives and has got more than 15 years of experience so I feel really safe. Damo looks really relaxed and that puts me at ease. He is happy to answer all my questions and gives me really thorough safety briefing. I will slide into harness, get the goggles (to be able to keep my eyes open whilst freefalling) and inflatable life jacket (required for beach landing only). There are about 8 other daredevils’ getting in the plane with us and they all look super excited.

No Real Door on That Plane!

As the plane is taking off I keep looking at the hole where we are supposed to jump out when it gets covered with a flimsy looking plastic roller-door. Now I am really getting terrified but still committed to do the jump no matter what. Besides rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms I am feeling surprisingly well. At 10 000ft the roller door comes up for the first time and two girls are jumping out but the ascent continues for the rest of us, 15 000ft jumpers.

Striving for the Perfect Banana Shape

Once the roller door comes up for the second time I know it is my turn. I don’t even fight the instructor when he starts to nudge me closer to the door once about half of the jumpers disappear through the hole in the planes body. I decide that I am a tough woman and will thoroughly embrace the experience no matter what.

“Hang your feet out of the plane” must be one of the most unnatural things to hear and obey to when you are at 4.5km high in the skies but nevertheless that is exactly what I am doing, trying to gain the perfect banana shape- legs under the plane belly, arms crossed on my chest and head tilted back on my instructors shoulder.

I Am Free, Free Falling…

There really isn’t much time to hesitate or think-things happen and they happen fast. Before I know I am in a thrilling free fall and screaming on top of my lungs. I just catch myself thinking that I am screaming but weirdly I can’t hear any of it because the whizzing winds around us.

I am also thinking that this doesn’t feel like bungy jump at all- there really is that air cushion underneath me and I am not getting that queasy feeling that I was scared of.

Once I feel the tap on my shoulder from the instructor I open my arms and relax for a bit. I am having this out of body experience- flying at 200kmph and trying to take a glimpse of the Great Barrier Reef.

Gliding Over The Great Barrier Reef

It takes about a minute of this amazing freefalling until our parachute opens and everything slows down. We are gliding through the skies and it is now quiet enough to have a chat with the instructor and enjoy the most magnificent views imaginable. I am seeing different reef formations, presumably Dunk and Frankland Islands, rainforest and Far North Queensland’s coastline.

My instructor Damo tries to make me as comfortable as possible, loosening the harness, asking me to change my body position and telling me to take off my glasses. It is a sensational feeling to gently glide through the air for about 5 minutes towards the picturesque Etty Bay Beach.

I Am Still in One Piece

Landing on the sand is gentle and I choose to lie down for a moment to take in all the emotions that have surfaced. I am really proud of myself.

So why do people throw them out of the perfectly good aeroplane? To feel free, happy, excited, overwhelmed and invincible all at once I think.

Make lasting memories by booking Skydive when visiting Cairns and Far North Queensland- you will never feel as alive and free as flying over the Great Barrier Reef.

Come on don’t be a pussy book your Cairns Skydive Adventure now!

Author: Helen – Tour Specialist