Bungy Photo Gallery

Ken, Rachel and I, for some reason decided it would be a good idea to let someone tie a long elastic band around our legs and then jump off a bridge that was 43 meters (141 feet) high. This was something I never thought I would do, as I am rather afraid of heights. However, the Queenstown adventure bug had bitten me, and I thought it was a chance I shouldn't pass up.

After jetboating, Ken and I, Ed and Rachel, and Jason and Tam all drove a few minutes out of Queenstown to the Kawarau bridge. The world's first bungy site. The bridge has been purchased by the A.J. Hackett company, and is a full time bungy site. If you want to learn more about bungy and its creator, check out A.J. Hackett's site.

Jason and Ed, did not even feign interest in participating, and Tam was only mildly tempted. Therefore, they filmed the experience. First we had to sign up, and yes actually pay money.

Yes, we actually paid to jump off a bridge, or maybe it's more like we paid for them to tie us on to the bridge - jumping is free

We had arrived early for the jump, so we had some time to spend watching others leap from the bridge. This I think helped, as we watched people jump and repeatedly survive.

Watching the jumpers for the bridge

View of he retrieval boat from the bridge

After you jump and bounce up and down four or so times, you're then hanging upside down over a river. Then an inflatable boat that comes out, and two guys grab your arms and then the people on the bridge lower the bungy so you end up in the boat and taken ashore.

Rachel getting ready to go, the brave girl went first!

Rachel's Bungy!

Ken was up next...

Ken's bungy - nice diving form!

I was last. I guess there were good and bad points about being last. I got to watch Rachel and Ken go first, but after everyone went I couldn't very well chicken out. It hadn't looked that bad watching others go from the observation deck or from the bridge. However, after they tie your legs together, and you need to take baby steps out to the edge of the bridge, and I looked down, some thoughts like I was absolutely insane to do this, crossed my mind.

Wondering what I'm doing up here

Fortunately, they don't give you much time to consider how foolish you're about to be, so after a quick countdown of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

Here I go...

After all the nerves, it was a rush to bungy, especially for someone who's afraid of heights. Of the three of us, Rachel thought once was enough, I thought it was fun and may consider another go at it one day, and Ken is ready to sign up for the Nevis - a 143 meter jump from Gondola in Queenstown - that's about 470 feet!

The exhilarated bungy jumpers - note the smiles are broader after the jump

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