Description: Finally, part three of my agonizing adventure around the outside of Auckland’s Skytower.

The story so far: I am on a narrow walkway with no handrails 192m above the ground; I am more anxious than I’ve ever been in my entire life; I feel like I’m about to die. I want nothing more than to get down onto solid ground again and never ever leave it.

But no! Wait! Before I can do that, I not only need to walk around the building, I need to do it in style. Or if I can’t manage that, at least get ONE good picture of me not looking terrified because otherwise who will believe me that I did it?

I need the good shot: a shot of me dangling backwards over the edge and looking amazingly cool and unutterably brave. You see, if I can get that shot, then it won’t matter that the video is showing me to be a coward, I can regain my dignity by showing people the nice still picture of me beaming bravely and then they’ll be all impressed. That was the plan anyway. In reality, it was more of a big cheesy terrified grin, but I figure that just adds to the drama aspect doesn’t it?

So finally the really hard test. I've mentioned before that the line to your back is longer than the one to your front. Astute people will realise that this means that if you lean out backwards, you get much further over the edge than if you lean out forwards. So, the final challenge is where they get you dangling backwards over the edge with the tips of your feet pushing you out from the walkway. To achieve this, you turn to the tower, sit in your harness, plant your feet on the ground and walk backwards over the edge. Once your feet are as far as you can go, you straighten your legs, let go with your hands and lean back as much as you can and you are suspended above the void with just two thin lines stopping you from plunging into oblivion! They make you do this three times during the trip - once in pairs just to get used to it, once for an individual shot in a carefully located position offering the most scenic shot and once with a group picture of all of you.

Then it's some more history of the area as you wander around agonisingly slowly to the end. It was very hard to take any of it in, but I have vague recollections that they told me about the harbour bridge, One Tree Hill, Rangitoto Island and all the other volcanoes in the area and a few bits and pieces of history. Then, finally, we had circumnavigated the tower and we could get unhooked and go back down. I think I have never been so relieved to be out of a situation in my entire life. Once safely at the base of the tower, we could divest ourselves of our charming orange garb and then reclaim our valuables and buy the evidence that we'd taken part: a video from the guide's head camera and some charming pictures.

And then we decided that we'd never ever ever leave the ground again. That lasted all of, oooh, a few hours. I've already made up my mind that I want another go. Will I never learn?

===If it's so scary, how do you calm yourself down when you do this sort of thing?===
Keep telling yourself that you'll be fine: these activities are perfectly safe. Get a nice little mantra going "It's just walking. I can walk. It's perfectly safe. I just need to do what they say and it will be fine. I won't die. Try to look cool for the camera."

===How do I look cool for the camera?===
Think about how you look when you are afraid or anxious. Hunched shoulders, tense attitude, wide eyes, frantic shaking of head, looking like a small child on their first day at school? Concentrate on not doing those; relax and smile a bit. Don't grin and giggle too much if you don't want to look hyperactive. Sometimes you won't be able to manage, but if you can get enough footage of you looking cool, you can edit the uncool bits of the video out. Or leave them in for a laugh like I did. Perfect your adrenaline sports pose: big grin, two thumbs up. Practice a few choice phrases: Sweet as! Awesome! Fantastic!

Above all else, lie through your teeth and pretend to be fine. Never admit to fear. They know a lot of people will be afraid and they know how to coach people through it. One of the girls on the trip managed a nice girly scream and cries of "I'm going to die" when dangling backwards over the edge. If you want a comedy video where everyone in the world laughs at you, that's the line to go for. If not, try to avoid phrases like "Argh" or "Let me off" or "I'm going to die".

Several of my friends couldn't even watch the video they found it that scary!

===Would you recommend it?===
Yes, absolutely!

===So what's this about jumping off?===
Yes, you can jump off, there's another sport there called Skyjump. That starts from the same place as Skywalk, but instead of going around the building, it goes straight down attached to a fan descender - a wire is attached to a fan that brakes your fall before you go splat.

===So, Becky, what would induce you to do Skyjump?===
Nothing in this world!

===What, not even if someone held a gun to your head and threatened to kill small cuddly puppies until you did? And gave you a million pounds?!===
That's a bit contrived isn't it? Well, maybe, OK, in those circumstances I might consider it.

===Aha! I knew it! So really you're just haggling over the price?===
Er... I'm fairly sure I won't ever be put in that situation, but OK, sure, any evil multimillionaires out there who want to see me make a fool of myself in exchange for dire threats and lots of money should feel free to contact me. I won't hold my breath.

===So, summarise quickly once again why I should do this?===
See the sights of Auckland! Get dressed in Guantanamo bay chic! Amaze your friends and confound your enemies! Try to overcome that fear of heights in a safe environment. Go do the Skywalk. It's completely crazy, massively expensive, but fun. Sort of. A little bit. Once you've overcome the anguish and are looking back at the pictures several weeks later anyway.
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