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Published: March 20th 2008
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Nevis Bungy
First look out onto the "pod" for the Nevis Bungy from the viewing area. So I am WAY behind in these updates, but here is one that I was hoping would be worth the wait to have the text for...
So Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand. They are known for having the first commercial bungy jump in the world. Also the people (company) that set up the first bungy site have expanded and now jump from three different locations. I had already decided that I would do a bungy jump here in Queenstwn because I have always wanted to do a real bungy jump. A while back my family took a vacation to Destin, Florida and I did a bungy jump there with the family. The bungy jump was very carnival...ish and did not really satisfy me. That bungy jump was from a crane, over an inflatable mat, and I was held in a harness by my waist - all three diminising the experience. A true bungy jump needs to be by the feet, over a river, no mat below. I was thinking about doing a bungy jump here in New Zealand that dipped me into the river as well. Once I got into town and saw my options
Me in front of the Nevis Bungy
A picture of me in front of the pod for the Nevis Bungy. it was a no brainer. There is the Karawai Bungy near Queenstown that dips you into the river below and the jump was 40 some meters high. There is another bungy jump here in Queenstown that is 143 meters tall. Three times the height, so water dipping. So at the Karawia Bungy site that the bus stopped at, I decided to go ahead and book the big one - The Nevis Bungy (134 meters tall)! I let a friend know my plans and hoped that we could get the jump together. When I ran into Hannes (the friend) the next day out having drinks in Queenstown he let me know that he had been able to get in and booked the Nevis Bungy at the same time that I had booked. Sweet.
So we met up at noon for the Nevis Bungy at the activity center in Queenstown. I (and most of the group) were nursing somewhat of a hangover from the previous nights' activities. Queenstown is known for the nightlife after all and I am not one to make an early night of things when the times are good. Anyway, we met up at the activity center to
Nevis Bungy
Looking out onto the "pod" from the shuttle. get weighed and then got shuttled to the bungy site. The drive was cool as VERY loud upbeat rock music was being played during the entire drive. Gets you in the mood. You can't talk it is so loud, but you can see the excitement as you look around at friends on the bus. No longer hanpered by the hangover, we drove up a steep hill and had our first look at the bungy site. Really high.
We get out and get a harness on for the bungy jump. They take you out to a lookout so you can get a good look at the "pod" that is suspended in the ravine. Damn its high. We get shuttled out to the jump pod by weight (heaviest first). I am in the second group that goes out there and I get shuttled with Hannes which is good since we were hoping to get some good pictures of each other as well as to see each other jump. When we get to the pod there are already people doing the jump. We can look through a glass area in the bottom of the pod and see the jumpers quickly disappear from
My ticket for the Nevis Bungy
My ticket for the Nevis Bungy - I am next! sight. I am already getting pretty darn nervous at this point. What did I sign myself up for? So more people go as we listen to more upbeat music and get ankle wraps put on. My name appears on the clipboard pretty quickly. I had already figured out that means that I am next. Crap. I get called up and have to sit in a chair to get the bungy apparatus attached to my legs. Good lord. When the get me attached they tell me to go ahead and stand up and waddle my way over to the jump platform (legs are tied together). I slowly work my way to the platform...
As I get to what I believe is close enough to the end of the platform (halfway), I am prodded to go a little further. I figured I would have no problem jumping from my first stop, but the guides want me to go further. I slowly inch (not even) my way out to the end and I am going crazy. The guy tells me "OK". Then they drop the bungy cord and I get a little tug that has me thinking that I will be pulled
Me in chair for Nevis Bungy
Me getting my feet strapped into the bungy apparatus. Not nervous at all... out of the pod. I immediately ask if I am good to go. He says "yes". I figure I am good to go whenever as I just want to get the jump over with. Just like my skydive, the wait is the hardest! I can barely hear the count as I am getting ready to jump. 3, 2......I am already out he door by the time the quick count got to 1. At least that's what I was told by friends after the jump. Like the skydive, the first leap is the best feeling. The rush is indescribable. As I get near the canyon bottom I am giddy and wait for the second bounce before I release my leg harness. Then I got pulled back up to the pod in a waist harness, able to enjoy the view. The bungy and the skydive were both very good and were different experiences. I think that the bungy had me more scared and my emotions were more extreme, but the excitement and adrenaline for the skydive lasted longer. The bungy jump was an awesome experience!
After getting back into Queenstown, I meet up with a group of friends and head up
the mountain on the gondola for good views of Queenstown and to do another luge. I was not going to do the luge in Queenstown, but the group of friends that I had been hanging out with wanted to do the luge, so I figured what the heck. It was fun to go as a big group and to race. We went 5 different times and had a good time. I think the luge was better in Rotorua, but it was fun to race friends in Queenstown. I took a nice spill on one run trying to catch the people ahead of me and another guy in our group took a good spill on a different run as well. Good fun.
I go back through Queenstown later after a trip through the south part of the South Island...
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Justin
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Nevis
Nice job dude! Did you do the Canyon Swing? If not, do it!