Skydiving in Taupo, New Zealand: 15,000 ft of Fun

I knew there was one thing I had to do during my trip to New Zealand: skydive.

New Zealand is well known for its extreme activities. Most people come to bungy jump off bridges ranging from 40 to over 100 metres high. I’ve never had any desire to bungy, but I have always wanted to jump out of a plane.

My desire to skydive started when I read a novel where the main character described the experience as freeing and euphoric. Really, who wouldn’t want to try something described like that?

I recommend this NZ skydive

Why I Chose to Skydive in Taupo

There are dozens of places to skydive in New Zealand.

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to do mine, so I asked my Kiwi Experience bus driver. He told me to do it as quickly as possible—not because he thought I’d back out, but because New Zealand’s weather is constantly changing.

Skydives are often cancelled due to inclement weather. Since I was only spending a day or two in each city, I couldn’t wait out weather.

So, when the first opportunity to skydive came, I signed up!

It just happened to be in Taupo, a city on the North Island of New Zealand. Taupo is well known for its skydiving. On a clear day, you can see both sides of the North Island from their highest jump.

… I’ll be honest I didn’t know that when I booked. I just wanted to jump out of a plane ASAP!

And bonus for me: Taupo is one of the cheapest places in New Zealand to skydive. I mean, it’s not free by any means, but it’s a few hundred dollars cheaper than anything on the South Island.

My Skydive Taupo Experience

I was buzzing with anxiety and anticipation before my skydive. It felt like I’d eaten a whole swarm of butterflies. Gnawing on a protein bar didn’t help settle them. I was going to jump out of a plane. 

What the hell was I thinking?!

I hadn’t even told my family I was about to skydive. I shot a quick text that probably worried my parents more than it settled them. My dad replied instantly: “Omg. Be careful.” My mom was jolted from a meeting by the news and sent a shocked “Oh my!! Have a wonderful time!!”

With that, my phone was locked away and I was about to skydive for the first time. 

Safety Demonstration

You begin your skydive with a safety demonstration. It’s paired with a video of amazing views, people having fun screaming on their first freefall, or blowing kisses to the camera.

Honestly, I’m glad they included that because it really took the edge off.

Seeing all those people happily enjoying their skydive in Taupo (and a few REALLY not, but hey they have to manage expectations) made me feel more like I was prepared for this. I mean, as prepared as I could be considering I’d been napping on a bus 45 minutes prior.

It looked easy. What was I worried about? I could totally do this!

The anticipation was still coiled in my gut, but now it was more excitement than anxiety. I wanted to finish filling out forms so I could get on to the fun part: freefalling over the beautiful lake and snow-capped mountains of Taupo.

The safest demonstration covered the following:

• Stay attached to your tandem partner
• Stay calm
• Don’t wear flip flops
• Store any items you have. You don’t want anything falling off you at 15,000 ft.
• How to breathe through the oxygen masks we needed to go up to 15,000 ft in an unpressurized plane cabin
• How to roll out of the plane
• An assurance that our tandem skydiver knew what they were doing and would handle the rest

The Regret Speech (or Deciding to Go Higher)

When the safest demonstration stopped, the sales pitch started.

Of course they try to convince everyone to jump from a higher height. They make an extra $60 NZD and you get the experience of a lifetime. So it’s kind of worth it, right?

The line that got my attention (and ultimately the money out of my wallet) was: people always regret not going higher.

I live life in fear of regret. I hate not doing things and ultimately wishing I had. As someone with anxiety, I’ve spent decades second guessing myself and then regretting that choice for years to come.

New Zealand isn’t about regret.

So I signed up to jump 3,000 ft higher out of a plane than I’d ever intended to. 

Gearing Up

After a quick bathroom break (pissing your pants out of fear is apparently a real possibility, and not one they appreciate), I was ready to put on my gear.

First, I put on a blue jumpsuit that had seen better days. A female employee helped me strapped a fanny pack with a life preserver inside around my waist. I was assured that water landings are an extremely rare and unplanned occurrence. 

Next, I stepped into a harness that looped around my legs and arms. It was a complicated mess of straps and clasps that looked like you’d need a degree in physics to understand. My tandem partner, Rhys, only had to yank four straps with practised ease. Suddenly, the harness fit snuggly and I was properly dressed to jump out of a plane.

Because I’d chosen to jump at 15,000 ft and the small plane wasn’t pressurized, I needed an oxygen mask. That was probably the most intimidating part; I don’t think I’ve ever worn an oxygen mask before.

Finally, the employee handed me a leather cap with a set of plastic goggles attached. I felt like a poor man’s Amelia Earhart in the get-up. 

It definitely wasn’t an outfit I planned to rock regularly.

But I was fully decked and ready to skydive in New Zealand.

Taking Off

I met my tandem partner Rhys before getting on the plane.

Rhys was an experienced skydiver who had been with Skydive Taupo for over 18 years. When I asked how many jumps he’d done, he paused and said “over 1,200” with an easy certainty. 

How can you jump out of a plane over 1,200 times?!

I worried that after 1,200 jumps with no issues, I was bound to be his bad luck charm.

All too soon, we were getting in the plane. I wasn’t even sure if I was nervous anymore. 

I felt like I could handle the experience. People skydive every day; today I was just going to be one of them.

The group of skydivers piled into a small pink plane with our tandem partners, a pilot and a videographer. We sat backwards on two long leather blocks that ran the length of the cabin as the plane took off. 

I forced myself to focus on the shrinking scenery to distract myself from what I was about to do.

The little plane took 15 minutes to reach 12,000 ft. Two of the skydivers had opted for the smaller jump. 

I watched in semi-terror as they rolled out of sight the moment they left the plane. Somehow, my nerves were still manageable (seriously anxiety? I can’t walk down to the trash chute on my floor, but I can jump out of a plane?!).

Rhys fitted the oxygen mask over my face as we ascended, forcing me back to reality. I was really doing this.

In minutes, he said, we’d be at 15,000 ft and I’d be skydiving.

Jumping Out of a Plane

I was the last person of the group to skydive. I watched as the third woman tumbled out of the side of the plane, her open mouthed shriek lost with the wind.

At this point I was firmly attached to Rhys. He had clasped us together with me sitting on his lap and our harnesses connected. It was so secure I could feel our breaths synchronizing with each rise and fall.

I suddenly panicked: what if I fart on this poor man?

I’d never been a nervous farter before, but if there was any time to start it would surely be now with the fear of 15,000 ft of empty sky in front of me. 

Rhys scooted us along the leather bench close to the open door on the side of the plane.

Don’t fart! I begged myself, far too focused on that miniscule detail than the fact that I was so close to the edge of the plane I could feel the air whipping through the breathable fabric of my shoes.

Rhys sat down on the lip on the plane, taking me with him however unwillingly. My legs were dangling over the edge with wind rushing past me, making me worry even my tightly laced sneakers would fall off.

I expected to have a moment of doubt, to cry and beg to be taken safely to the ground.

Rhys shouted in my ear to “shape myself like a banana” (apparently that’s the technical term for the way you arch your back and lean your head back when you’re rolling out of the plane to ensure that you don’t get whipped about).

I got in position and then we were falling, tumbling through the air at 200km/hr towards the ground.

Free Falling from 15,000 ft

I didn’t look down for the first few moments of my skydive over Taupo. 

It’s hard to look anywhere when there’s air rushing up at you with incredible force. Even moving my hands was difficult. 

My lips kept curling up and flapping with the pressure.

There were so many sensations I barely registered the view. I was mostly focused on the fact that I was finally doing it: I was skydiving!

The wind was whipping up at my face, sending gooseflesh along my thinly covered legs in the faded jumpsuit. I tried to scan the horizon as much as I could in between slapping myself in the face when I tried to blow a kiss to the camera on Rhys’ wrist.

Pulling the RipCord

I had expected to love every moment of it—at least, I’d expected that since my sudden burst of confidence in the Skydive Taupo office. 

While I did love the first 50 seconds, the last 10 seconds of my freefall were ruined by the pressure building in my ears to a painful point. I worried my head would burst. 

With the force of the freefall, I couldn’t manage to move my hands to my nose to pop my ears. It was nearly as bad as the time I’d flown with an ear infection.

The pain felt like it lasted an hour, but it was really just a few seconds.

Without any warning (that seemed to be his style), Rhys pulled our parachute. Rather than the rough jolt I’d expected, we smoothly slid from horizontal to vertical as we slowed. 

And I could finally pop my ears!

Parachuting Down

Floating down in the parachute was my favourite part of my skydive in New Zealand.

I should have known I would love it; I loved parasailing in Jamaica. I was totally enthralled with hot air ballooning in Cappadocia. 

But I hadn’t considered that parachuting above the jewel blue Lake Taupo, lush green fields of the national parks and peaks of volcanic mountains would be so wonderful. 

I mean, who could possibly enjoy floating above that?

I gaped at the landscape the whole way down, oohing and awwing as we floated with the clouds.

Rhys let me control the parachute for a few minutes. It reminded me of when my dad used to let me “drive the car” as a kid; I got to have my hands on the wheel, but he was really in control. While Rhys was making sure we didn’t crash, I was having the time of my life.

I have a new bucket list goal now: learn how to parachute!

The Landing

Landing was a bit awkward. I had to stick my legs straight out like I was sitting down as Rhys prepared us to hit the ground.

He’d warned me that some landings can be a bit difficult, but our day was pretty clear so we’d be fine. 

It was more of a small bounce on my butt than the rough drag I’d anticipated. My butt tapped the ground twice and then we were seated firmly on the grassy field of the airfield. 

There was really only one rough part: my New Zealand skydive was over.

I couldn’t believe I’d done it. I had skydived from 15,000 ft in New Zealand!

There’s no better feeling than knowing you’ve accomplished something you’ve always dreamed of doing. 

The only negative was that I was so confident that I would love every second of the experience. Having even a few moments of pain annoyed me to no end. I later realized that I was starting to get sick, which was probably the reason the pain was so extreme. It was out of my control, but I nearly let it sour my whole skydive.

My dad telling me that I was brave knocked the disappointment away. 

He was right. I was incredibly proud of myself. I’d jumped out of a plane, just like I always wanted to!

It really was a life changing experience: both the skydive and realizing that I had been brave. 

Jumping out of a plane is hard. It’s ok that it wasn’t perfect. My first skydive will always be something I’m proud of.

As I write this, sitting in my “Skydive Taupo” t-shirt, I can still feel the freezing rush of wind on my face. I can’t stop a smile from spreading across my face at the thought.

I’d definitely do another one, but not for a while – my bank account needs to heal first!

I recommend this NZ skydive

Tips for Skydiving in New Zealand

• Don’t wear flip flops or loose shoes! They can and will fall off in mid air. Opt for sneakers or other tight fitting, full coverage shoes. 
• Always dress for cooler weather. It’s at least 10C colder when you’re falling. Wear long pants and a warmer shirt than you think you need. In winter, bundle up!
• Put your valuables in a locker on the ground. You shouldn’t bring anything other than the clothes on your back.
• Wear goggles. The wind is intense. You’ll need them to see and to protect your eyes
• Pictures and videos cost a lot but they’re worth it. I don’t rewatch my video often but I do share the photos a lot – and I got some extra still from the video. My favourite bit of the video is when we roll out of the plane. It’s so cool to get to rewatch it. With the adrenaline, there are bits I forget so it’s nice to have that reminder.
• Be honest about health conditions that may prevent you from skydiving in New Zealand. The same goes for being honest about your weight. 
• Your adrenaline will be running HIGH the rest of the day. It’s a good idea to have some water and a protein bar afterwards to help chill you out a bit. 
• Be better than me: don’t text your parents “brb going skydiving” then lock your phone in the locker. Maybe wait until you’re back on the ground or give them far more notice. 

I recommend this NZ skydive

Skydive Taupo

I used Skydive Taupo for my New Zealand skydive. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and made me feel so comfortable with my experience. They move so quickly you barely even have time to notice how nervous you are before you’re rolling like a banana out of the plane (we’ll come to that in a moment). 

I’m going to tell you more about skydiving in Taupo, New Zealand specifically. Much of the experience is the same as another skydive, but I want to share exactly how much it cost and what it’s like with this amazing company. 

How much does skydiving in Taupo cost?

Taupo is one of the cheapest places to skydive in New Zealand. A 12,000 ft jump costs $279 NZD per person. A 15,000ft jump costs $359 NZD. The extra price is because you have to go higher in the plane, wear an oxygen mask, and you get 15 seconds of extra freefall (the best part of skydiving).

Skydives cost a lot because most people add on video and photo packages. If this is the only time you’ll ever do a skydive, you’re going to want some proof, right?

Skydive Taupo offers the following rates for media:

• GoPro Photos  – $139 NZD
• GoPro Video from Tandem Partner’s Hand – $149 NZD
• GoPro Photos, Video AND 4 Interviews that are edited together – $160 NZD ($180 NZD for 15,000ft)
• Extra Skydiver to Film Your Jump with a Camera on Their Helmet – $200 NZD ($220 NZD for 15,000ft) 

How high is the skydive in Taupo?

Skydive Taupo only had two heights when I visited, but they’ve since added a third. You can now skydive from 12,000 ft, 15,000 ft, or 18,000ft!

I did 15k.

Book your skydive in New Zealand today!

Final Thoughts on Skydiving in Taupo, NZ

Skydiving in New Zealand is a must-do activity. It’s one of the best adventures that you’ll ever have in your life and one of the most stunning places to try it.

Adventure travel is key in New Zealand. You need to get out of the cities and take to the skies, or the bridges, or the trails to really experience the astonishing country.

As scary as skydiving may seem, it’s actually super fun! I never felt the stomach dropping sensation of falling that you may expect after feeling it on a roller coaster.

That’s half because you aren’t accelerating and decelerating constantly like on a roller coaster, and half because you’re so distracted by all the amazing things around you.

Even the people screaming for their lives in the videos are only doing so because they’re too in their heads.

Once they slow down and are parachuting, they calm down because they’re able to get out of that headspace.

Don’t allow yourself too much time to think and worry before your skydive.

Allow your travel insurance to worry for you. I used Safety Wing travel insurance to ensure that I was covered in the very unlikely event that something went wrong in my skydive.

Most travel insurance doesn’t cover exciting activities like this, which is why I love Safety Wing.

👉 Find out how much it costs to protect your trip today with Safety Wing travel insurance.

Watch my Skydive in Taupo (and see me smack myself in the face!)

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