I think we can officially chalk this one up on the things I never thought I’d do list: flying around a rainforest in a harness!

That’s one of the great things about being on someone else’s agenda: you end up trying entirely new things. That’s how, on our last day in Port Douglas, we drove up to Cape Tribulation to take part in a Jungle Surfing Canopy Tour.

The first step? Picking out a helmet. They all had names painted on them, ranging from the silly to the ridiculous. Shauna, our littlest headmistress, chose Mini Me, while I went for Tank Girl, and Kat went for — what else? — Catwoman.

Don’t let our faces fool you — we had absolutely no idea what we were in for!

After trudging up a hill, we were strapped into harnesses which allowed us to zip-line between treehouse platforms, some of which were as high as 8 storeys! From the platforms, we could look out and see the Great Barrier Reef, meaning we were in one World Heritage Listed landmark, while looking at another.

It was fabulous.

The zip-line action started off slow and gentle, but before we knew it, we were whizzing through the rainforest at full speed, dangling upside down, and flying hands-free!

Look at her, zooming through the rainforest in her Zara motorcycle boots! Never underdressed, that one… !

The views were fantastic, and I kept swooning over the enormous bright blue Ulysses butterflies which fluttered right past us. They’re huge, the size of your hand, and their irridescent wings glow in the sunlight.

It was all over much too quickly. I wanted to do more upside down zip-lining! My mind began to stretch and fantasise. Maybe one day I could live somewhere with a system of treehouses and zip-lines…

As we tramped back down the hill to civilisation, I was buzzing from the excitement, and reminded of something Seth Godin said not so long ago:

“Artists and leaders seek out that feeling. They push themselves to the edge, to the place where the fear lives. By feeling it, by exposing themselves to the resistance, they become more alive and do work that they’re most proud of.” (Seth Godin)

To live a full, rich, and thrilling life, it’s essential to push yourself to those places. It’s imperative to do the things that make your palms sweat, or which give you nervous butterflies — Ulysses or not! — and not just within the business arena.

Get out amongst it! Do something you would never normally say yes to, and see how it totally flips your perspective and philosophy of life.

Ever,

Photos by Janneke Storm. This post was made possible with the generous and amazing help of Tourism and Events Queensland.