Bungy Jumping: Did we do it?

Not likely!

Although only a small country by global standards, NZ seems to be always keen to present itself on the world stage.  So many towns we have been through promote themselves as the “world capital”of this or that, e.g. brown trout fishing, or at least they are the best in NZ.

So it was no surprise as we came upon the 43 metre Kawara Bridge Bungy near Queenstown to find that it was the “Home of the world’s first and most famous of leaps.”  Another local jump, Nevis Bungy, with a 134 metre drop, is “Äustralasia’s Highest Bungy.”  So take that, Australia.

 

However, I’m sure that the Kawara jump could claim to be the world’s most beautiful.  The golden autumn trees glowed in the early morning sunlight, and the majestic rocks dropped vertically to the swirling aqua Kawara River below.

 

Pat walks bravely onto the bridge.

 

The first jump we saw was of a young couple jumping in tandem.  They seemed quite relaxed about their forthcoming ordeal and gave us a cheery wave.

 

Down they go!

 

They swing back and forth, up and down over the swirling river for a bit.

 

You could opt to be dunked into the water if you wished, but nobody we saw took that option – it was quite a chilly morning!

 

As the swinging and bouncing slowed down, a cheery little yellow inflatable, securely roped to the river bank, came out to meet the upside down jumpers.

 

The jumpers reach out to be retrieved….

 

….as they swing back and forth over the boat.

 

Eventually contact is made….

 

….and the jumpers are hauled unceremoniously upside down into the boat….

 

….untied and taken back to shore.

 

We watched a few more jumps.

 

The last two jumps were taken on the “sport” setting of my camera.  I have had a lot of failures on this setting, but I was quite happy with these two pictures….

 

 

Even the toilet signs at the Kawara site carried the bungy jumping theme.

Did I want to jump?  Yes, I did.  However, my fear and my frugality (it was $180 a jump) combined were greater than my desire to jump.  Once again, I am so pleased that I did my one parachute jump so many years (40+) ago.  It has been my great opting out of terrifying activities ever since.

Avoided on 18th April 2012.