As the resident ‘adrenaline junkie’ at SW Africa, I’m usually game to try out activities that verge on the extreme. And which are, more often than most, considered crazy by my colleagues.
My latest experience – Sky Diving!
Armed with a giddy excitement, my partner in crime (my husband) and a group of fellow thrill seekers, I set forth to conquer the skies! Minus the airline peanuts and shots of Dutch courage (ones needs to be sober when one jumps out of plane).
The launch site was North West of Johannesburg in an area called Carletonville. A small, sparse suburb on the fringe of the city. As we were doing a tandem jump, there was very little preparation required. One merely had to pay for your experience, show up and then sign an indemnity revoking any responsibility by the dive crew should your pancake in the middle of the bush. The wait between jumps is between 30 to 40 minutes as a limited number of people are flown up at a time. So pack a picnic basket and sunblock you could be there for a while!
Once ready for your jump you are ushered onto a prop plane and soon realise the true meaning of the phrase ‘packed like sardines in a tin can’. While ascending to the jump height of 11 000 feet, your skydive instructor will begin tightening all the belts and loops on the harness that connects you to each other. This was undoubtedly the closest I have ever been to a complete stranger…definitely not for those with issues on personal space.
At 11 000 ft, we get ready to launch…3…2…1 and we’re off! The initial flip out of the aeroplane is similar to the rush you feel on a roller coaster. An unbelievable feeling of awe and wonder at the beauty of our world, the wealth of opportunities at our disposal and the experiences that life has to offer us washes over you. It’s amazing how free you feel while dropping like a stone!
The shoot is deployed at around 5 000 ft and you then have approximately 10 minutes of serene floating before landing, allowing you time to truly 
take in the beauty of the city. The high rise buildings of the city centre in the distance to the east, the rocky terrain of mountains to the west and nothing but a smattering of houses in-between flanked by wide open space.
Having spent the past 10 years working in the travel industry, my appreciation for our fine country is firmly entrenched in every fibre of my being. But being able to explore and view the vibrant city that I live in from a different angle helps to keep my interest peaked and my soul fed.
Have a look at our 2-night Thrill Seeker Sky Dive Package here for more information!
From sandboarding, down an old mine dump in Johannesburg (remnants of the gold rush) to parasailing off Signal Hill in Cape Town, a horse-drawn carriage ride in the Winelands to a hot air balloon trip in the Magaliesberg – South Africa’s beauty and diversity can be explored in many ways.
South Africa – A World in One Country.
Should you be interested in seeing our country from a different angle, please feel free to contact us for a quote. A nut-T consultant will be happy to assist.
Tanisha Pillai
19 January 2013