Boats, cliffs, and a lesson learnt.


I am seriously behind schedule writing this - in fact this whole thing happened a whole month or so ago and I've been meaning to update but life has got in the way big time... So... I'll stop procrastinating and get it done.


At Pirates Backpackers they put on various trips here there and everywhere which, despite having very little money (even though to this point I had a job, granted I only had three shifts but never mind that) I swore that I would take full advantage of them (hence the trip to the pinnacles, the wine tour, and of course this one). Vaughan has a boat - a lovely boat - that he takes his fellow pirates out on every so often. Up popped a trip and I jumped at the chance despite knowing I had work that evening. I took a six pack of beer with the intention of having maybe four, threw on my bikini, grabbed my towel (and a footlong Subway since I was feeling a little worse for wear from the night before - as per), rounded up the troops and jumped in the car towards the pier. 



As we were boarding the boat we noticed a plume of smoke coming from over the way... a bushfire. Not surprising giving the heat that had been hitting Perth with no sign of the Fremantle Doctor in sight. As the temperatures climbed up to a pretty scorching 44/45 degrees C we made our way down Swan River, taking in the sights, the sunshine, cracking open a few beers (and realising that the beers HAD to be drunk within about 5 minutes otherwise they'd be warm - face it, warm beer isn't good). We stopped off at a beach, jumped off the side of the boat, had a swim around, swam to the shore and back (it was far further than we anticipated), and had a really good laze about in the beautiful summer sunshine listening to some tunes. The life. It was pretty damn good.

Then Vaughan suggested we made our way to the Fremantle cliffs at Blackwall Reach on Swan River. My heart raced, I knew it was coming but I was terrified about the prospect of jumping into the water from whatever height but the bit of alcohol in me (I know I know, it's bad) gave me a little bit of dutch courage and besides, practically everyone off the boat was jumping. I know what you're thinking, "if someone told you to jump off a cliff would you do it?" Under normal circumstances, no, but this was something different. It tested my confidence in myself and others, it tested my fear of heights and falling, and heck I'm such an adrenaline junkie at times I just wanted to do something different and I'd feel pretty rubbish if I didn't do it...

Big mistake.

Firstly, the climb up to the top of the rocks was painful - barnacle encrusted rocks bore into my feet, then the rough limestone grazed my hands and my knees. I kept telling myself that the jump would be worth it, the view would be amazing, and all would be well. We got to the top, the heat from the rocks was unbearable and I was jumping between patches of shade towards the jumping point. We opted for the 8.5m drop off... maybe I should've started off small?

One by one we jumped. I hesitated at the top, a young group of Australian boys behind me were whispering and joking how it took me so long to get to the top of the little rock. I gave them the finger (in a jokey way of course) and took position. I heard Beth shout from below that it doesn't hurt, I knew I had to land feet first, I knew how to jump. 

I took one step off the edge, freaked out and tried to step back, realised I'd already left the rock and started the freefall to the water. Closed my eyes (probably should've kept them open), counted the seconds (felt like a lifetime of falling), and prepared to hit the water and get out as soon as possible. Um. Ladies and gents, if you try this, PLEASE make sure your legs are straight, that you hit the water like a knife or a pen, don't do what I did and land slightly sideways, onto my arse. Nor curl up in the foetal position as you hit the water.

The damage? One very bruised leg/bum, badly strained pectoral muscles and intercostal muscles, mild concussion, a fractured coccyx, and no work as I couldn't work with a back injury. Still.... At least I can say I threw myself off a cliff despite shuddering at the mere thought, right?


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1 comments:

  1. Yes you are behind :) I expect Chapter and Verse when you get into Melbourne :) xx

    ReplyDelete

 

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