Published: 28.11.2024
Experience more – fear less ... that is the motto of the event organizers for the bungy jump at the bridge near Queenstown.
While we also experience a lot, we usually do so without fear ... Nevertheless, we want to see the adrenaline junkies up close. After all, we have yet to experience both bungy jumps live, meaning seen them in person.
We want to see this at the Kawarau Bridge. This bridge is where commercial bungy jumping began in 1987 (the first bungy jumpers were in Vanuatu - but not for commercial reasons here). The inventor of the commercial jump was A.J. Hackett. And it is because of this first jump that the place is also called the “World Home of Bungy.” From this bridge, the first commercial jump took place, back then for 75 NZ$. Today, this thrill costs a whopping 320 NZ$. The jump height here is 43 meters.
The highest jump in New Zealand is from the Nevis, also near Queenstown. Here, you jump 134 meters into the depths.
But we are here at the Kawarau Bridge and watch intently as brave individuals take turns plunging towards the flowing Kawarau River below. Next to Thorsten stands an older woman who asks for some space to take photos. Of course, she gets it. She mentions that she wants to photograph her husband while he jumps. The brave man is 81 years old and determined to take the leap. We wait for the jump and see that he has to muster a lot of courage; his steps to the jumping edge are rather hesitant at first. But then he simply lets himself fall and is safely hanging on the bungee cord. You can choose whether to just come close to the water or to have a Water Touch. Accordingly, the cord will be longer.
The jumpers are weighed beforehand, and their weight is written on their hand to let the person selecting the cord know how many kilos they need to support ...
After a while of watching, we get back on the road heading towards Twizel. We arrive there in the early afternoon and check into our mountain chalet. Tomorrow, we want to head towards Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand.
