Complete Without You (ONC 2022)

As I stared at the drop from the canyon and waterfall, I couldn't believe Tiger had talked me into this. My heart pounded in my chest, and I inhaled slowly as water rushed past my outstretched legs. How deep was that pool we were tumbling into?

"You've got this, Goanna!" he cheered from behind me, where he stood in a black wet suit and teal helmet. Easy for him to say. He hadn't tried this slide of death yet.

"Lean back, cross your ankles, and don't forget to scream." Our guide smiled cheekily at me from a little further down the rock, where he was harnessed with a camera to capture my terror.

I counted to five as I exhaled, crossed my legs, and hesitantly released my death grip on the rocks keeping me from tumbling down this waterfall. With another push from my shaking arms, I shot forward feet-first. The solid foundation beneath me disappeared in seconds. As I catapulted into the air, my stomach plummeted faster than me. I hardly had time to scream before the pool engulfed me in bubbles.

The water's icy chill penetrated my full wetsuit. With a few arm pulls, I surfaced and glanced back at Tiger who was lining himself up for the same stunt. The group opposite us called me over. Despite my still racing heart, I grinned at Tiger and gave him a thumbs-up before swimming breaststroke to the other tour participants. They stood in a narrow section of the gorge where the rock wall closed in enough to balance on the ledges.

Tiger's yell registered just before the splash. My head shot back and I released a breath of relief as he surfaced. Unlike on Mount Bruce, his smiles and laughs throughout the day showed a much more relaxed side of him that almost made up for my heart's constant state of fear since the safety briefing this morning.

He caught up with me in the water as we neared the meeting point. "How was it?"

"I'm living, which is more than I expected," I replied. He laughed at my dramatic answer. "You must have enjoyed it. You're grinning like a fool."

"It's incredible. I feel so alive and free. Thank you for doing this with me."

"It definitely helps you stay focused on the present."

His grin faded a little. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"I will be now that that's over. I'm ready for tubing down the gorge."

Our other tour guide offered me a hand to pull me out of the water. I did the same for Tiger before we wedged ourselves into a narrow gap, backs against one wall and feet against the opposite.

"We have another waterfall to descend before that. You're all doing great though." Another excited scream and splash followed our guide's words. Only two more people had to slide down the waterfall. From this angle, the four-metre drop made me shiver beneath the wetsuit.

"Another slide?" I asked.

The guide shook his head. "Abseil, with ropes, harness, and the works, just like we practiced."

I gulped and nodded.

"You'll be brilliant. Don't worry," Tiger whispered. He offered me his hand, and I held it. A wave of calm washed over me like the water hitting the turquoise pool far too low beneath us.

"First time canyoning?" Shelly, one of the Queenslanders on the tour, asked.

"Yes." Tiger and I answered in unison. When I released his hand, he looked down with a furrowed brow.

"I cliff jumped and white-water rafted around Rotorua, but this is way more demanding. Thank goodness we had a rest day after Mount Bruce."

"Good onya! Those falls will get your heart racing. We did it on holiday three years back." Shelly looked at her girlfriend. "You two have been busy," Shelly said.