Whoops and hollers of delight over first skydive

A maiden skydive yesterday was pure fun, judging by the whoops and hollers from 82-year-old Whangarei man Bernie Golder.
Mr Golder made a leap of faith from 10,000ft above Whangarei Airport yesterday in a tandem parachute jump with jump master Gary Cullen.
For Mr Golder, an artist from Ngunguru, the jump fulfilled a life-long dream to parachute and also gave him the opportunity to raise money for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami.
He arrived at Onerahi Airport about 6.30am yesterday keen, and ready to get into the air with Northland Districts Aero Club pilot Lee Johnstone and jump master Gary Cullen.
"I'm feeling pretty laid back and looking forward to it, oh yes," Mr Golder said while getting kitted up for his tandem jump.
His only real concern was whether it might be cold leaping from 10,000ft.
His friends say the World War Two pilot is a "game old bugger" who still flies regularly.
He had always wanted to do a parachute jump, but never got the chance while he was in the air force.
"I just love being in the air," he said.
Mr Golder did a parapont jump when he was 75 and decided to combine his skydiving dream with a fundraising effort for the tsunami appeal through the Red Cross.
Once he had jumped from the plane there was a rapid 30-second freefall in which he and Mr Cullen descended about 4500ft.
Then the chute opened and the pair took another four minutes to reach the ground.
However, from below, Mr Golder could be heard whooping and hollering with joy and exhilaration, from about 2000ft up.
Back on land he described the experience as marvellous.
"There's such a great view from up there. The whole of Whangarei Harbour looked so nice. It was a real adrenalin rush, especially as I leapt from the aircraft," he said.
Mr Cullen said Mr Golder was the oldest person who had ever done a tandem jump with him.
It even inspired Mr Golder to write a poem about the experience, which he described as giving him a new lease of life.
Whangarei Red Cross service centre manager Maureen Mosley was impressed at Mr Golder's dedication to raise money for tsunami relief.
"Northlanders are such generous people that we re overwhelmed by the strength of donations that have come in from all walks of life," Ms Mosley said.
"People have been coming up with some amazing ways of raising money and you have got to admire Mr Golder for his."
She said anybody wanting to make a donation to the tsunami appeal on behalf of Mr Golder for his jump could do so at any Red Cross branch.