There we were lazing about on tractor tubes in the waters below
Florence Falls, in the days long before the area became known as
Litchfield National Park. We fellas had an esky with floaties on, bobbing along between the tubes, full of cold cans, and we were enjoying them. The girls were sitting on the rocks doing girlie things....nattering
In the course of the afternoon the conversation changed to doing daring things, and so, without much notice, we blokes found ourselves jumping off the
cliff face of the falls about a quarter of the way up. Six of us ventured off that point. Then some of the girls joined in.
Hey, that was good! Maybe we can find another possy higher up.
Yep, we did that. Only four blokes were on the platform this time. Geez, it’s a bit high! The things you can do when inebriated. We all made the jump.
After catching our breath a mate says, “ Betcha won’t jump from the top!”
“Betcha I would” says I stupidly, but only if you do as
well. The mate was cornered.
We clamber up to the top of the falls and find a rock right on the edge. Faaaaaaarrrrrkkkkkk…this is high!
“Shysss!!! dunno about this mate. How high is it?”
Those in the waters below sucking on tubes of VB are chanting “JUMP! JUMP!” Girls included. Missus decides to look the other way
“You game, mate?”
“You go first,” says the mate.
I take a deep breath and jump. At that moment I realised I was doing a stupid thing. But it was too late.
As I plummeted to the
water below my mind raced as to how I should enter the
water. I held my nose and my bum and went straight in. By crikey it hurt when I hit the
water. Jets of
water rushed up my nose despite my hand being there, and my ears nearly exploded from the sudden pressure put on them…or so it seemed. By the time I regained the surface I was stone cold sober and shivering from anxiety. 'Twas a bit of an adrenalin rush! My anxiety soon passed however, and I downed a couple of coldies straight after, to regain my composure.
Me mate? He climbed down, ofcourse.
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Ahhh......the exhuberance of youth.....LOL
And I have survived all of the risks taken so far but the risks are more calculated now.
Cheers