The scariest moment these travel writers have had while away

Not every trip goes according to plan. Some can feature moments that cause panic and fear. Here are times when the Stuff Travel team have had frightening experiences.

Scuba diving, Cyprus

I am not sure when the panic set in. I think it was when all I could hear was my own breath. It was all a blur that felt like it took minutes to resolve but was probably only seconds. All I know is that it changed me from a confident swimmer to one who can’t put his head under the water.

I grew up being able to swim, thanks to my parents’ insistence of Saturday swimming lessons from a young age. I wouldn’t win any Olympic medals, but I was competent.

But that all changed on a family holiday in Cyprus. My sister and I decided to go scuba diving for the first time, and it has scarred me for life. The instructions seemed rushed, the equipment was heavy, and all I could think of was getting the dreaded ‘bends’. I started panicking and it only got worse. The instructors seemed only interested in those who were swimming happily among the shoals of fish, while all I could hear was my own increasingly distressed breathing.

Eventually someone noticed I was in trouble and I was signalled to go back up to the surface. I was relieved it was over but hated every moment of it. – Alan Granville, travel reporter

Snowstorm in Niseko, Japan

The coldest I have ever been in my life was on a Japanese ski field in Hokkaido. At the time I was a reasonably experienced skier in NZ, but I had never felt the absolute bone chilling winds that sweep over from Siberia and dump fresh powder on northern Japan. It’s what makes it a haven for skiers and snowboarders – the powder days over there are unreal.

But on one particular day of my ski trip, temperatures plunged to -17C and no amount of thermal gear could protect me from that level of freezing. I think I managed one run that morning, but on the next trip up the gondola, the weather packed in, visibility rapidly reduced and suddenly I felt completely alone on the mountain, chilled to my very core and unable to see my hand in front of my face. I’ve been in whiteouts on the ski fields before, and they are scary, no matter where you are, when all you can see ahead is a blanket of white, no visible outlines, no warning there might be a sudden drop-off or cliff. Add to that the freezing temperatures, seeping through my neck warmer and full face ski mask, I could feel panic creeping in. I wasn’t out in the backcountry, but this was a mountain and field I was unfamiliar with.

I don’t remember exactly how I got back down – the cold apparently froze my memory, not just my face, but I did get down safely, and I spent the rest of the day firmly inside my hotel in front of a blazing fire. – Juliette Sivertsen, acting chief news director – travel

Road trip in Jordan

We were travelling around Jordan and had enlisted the services of a driving company to take us from place to place, starting in the capital of Amman and making our way to the ancient city of Petra, the Mars-like desert of Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea.

Living in Dubai at the time, where the main road has seven lanes in each direction, I had grown accustomed to white-knuckle taxi rides. But Jordan was something else – it seemed the only rule was that there were no rules.

One particular driver was in the habit of crossing the centre line to pass other cars on the highway. The only problem was, he often neglected to return to the right side. At one point, he was cruising along the left-hand lane, pointing out the scenery as we approached a blind corner. As a chronic people pleaser, I had tried to contain my panic for most of the trip, but couldn’t help but let out a strangled “argghhh” as another car appeared, forcing us to swerve back into our rightful place.

We survived – but I’ve had a preference for countries with trains ever since. – Siobhan Downes, senior travel reporter

Open water snorkelling, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

I have a love-hate relationship with the ocean. There’s nothing better than splashing about in the waves, but chest deep is as far as I can go without feeling uncomfortable.

It was a day trip exploring The Great Barrier Reef that sparked my fear of open water. Setting off from a pontoon moored offshore the mainland, it was a quick and easy entry into the reef. I started the snorkelling adventure by following our group along the provided guide rope, before carving my own path through the water.

Too occupied looking down at the reef system in search of colourful sea life, I didn’t realise that I was drifting a good distance away from the safety of the pontoon. It eventually sunk in that I was alone in open water with no way of comfortably staying afloat.

Panic set in, and although I could have comfortably swum back, it was a terrifying splash back to dry ground. I spent the rest of the day exploring the pontoon. – Stephen Heard, travel publishing coordinator.

Canyoning, Abel Tasman National Park

I’d freaked myself before I’d even set off. Watching a video online of the canyoning adventure I was about to set out on, a deep sense of dread settled in my chest as I saw people happily throw themselves off waterfalls into murky pools far below – in some cases backwards or doing a somersault or two along the way.

I told myself all would be well if I stopped worrying and just did as instructed but, in a group with three guys who had descended the canyon multiple times before, I quickly began to feel out of my depth. Racing through the bush to keep up with them en route to the canyon, I wondered how I was going to keep up – particularly when we charged into waist-deep water so cold it took my breath away.

The first descent – an abseil down a short rockface – went fairly well, wobbly legs aside, but the second was disastrous. Jumping backwards into a pool as the guy before me had done, arms outstretched, I hit the water with such force that a shoulder popped out of its socket. I didn’t realise what had happened at first, I just wondered why I couldn’t move my right arm as I tried to get out of the pool.

When the guide hauled me out and I unzipped my wetsuit, the sight of my shoulder pointing in the wrong direction made me sick to my stomach, but it wasn’t until he’d carried me back out of the canyon that the pain set in.

Cradling my arm as we waited for the rescue helicopter for what felt like an eternity, I felt an agony unlike anything I had experienced before. And it only intensified as the paramedic and I were winched up into the chopper, my arm bumping against his body.

Fortunately, the hospital was only a short flight away and the doctor popping the shoulder back into place provided instant relief. I’ve been telling myself ever since that I will give canyoning another shot one day. But, to be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever manage to summon the courage.

What’s the scariest thing to have happened to you while travelling? Let us know in the comments, or email us at [email protected].