Auckland Bungee Jump Day -- AJ Hackett

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In Auckland -- Day Two and Three (Thursday, Friday)

After a restless night sleep I was up at 5:30am Thursday morning. After waking, I find it extremely difficult to stay in bed too long, especially in a shared room situation. Out of respect for the others sharing my room I didn’t tune into the radio or turn on a lamp to read, with these two option out I had no interest in listening to my roommates’ snores for the next hour or two. After a quick shower I threw on the clothes that I had laid out the night before. My first full day in New Zealand had started. Question is how many days will I spend here?

Breakfast was a bowl of cold cereal, two slices of toast and OJ. My first task for the morning was to set up my New Zealand bank account at ASB Bank. I so wish there as a Washington Mutual branch here with the “Home of the Free Banking” motto. Every service offered by the banks here in New Zealand have their list of charges. ATM withdrawal ($0.30), speaking to a teller ($3.50), point of service payment ($0.20), etc.... the only free service is internet balance inquiries and deposits.

Setting up the new account was pain free and quick, much easier than setting up my account in London. It was here that I encountered my first problem related to the missing wallet. My old drivers license, which had expired, did not suffice as a second piece of ID, the WAMU debit card that I tried to pass off as my own turned out to be in mom’s name (my debit card was the one that had gone missing), fortunately my MBNA credit card was in my name and could be used as ID.

Next task was to purchase a mobile phone. With this done I headed to the bungee jump pickup point to await my impending doom.

Compared to the other first time jumpers waiting to jump, I think I can honestly say that I was the most relaxed and composed. Coming off a construction project in Chicago that had me more than 500 feet up in the air the thought of climbing to a height of 140 above a harbor was not alarming. The AJ Hackett van picked us up in downtown Auckland and drove us to the Harbor Bridge jump site 15 minutes away.

At the jump site office we were given a short briefing on what we were about to do to ourselves. I was given an official waiver release to complete and sign that jokingly had in bold letters at the bottom of the page “Toe Tag!”. We weighed in and were then harnessed, the opportunities to back out of the jump were quickly disappearing.

From the office it was a 10 minute hike along a narrow catwalk suspended to the underside of the bridge superstructure that brought us to the jump platform. The jump platform was near the center span of the bridge, 140 feet above the water below. Safety was the primary concern of the jump staff. Harness were rechecked and jumps were timed around boat traffic that was passing directly beneath us.

A description of the capsule that jumpers wait for their turn to jump from is required. The space is 30 feet in length and 12 feet across. The interior shape of the space is much like that of the passenger section of a jetliner. Three of the sides are enclosed by glass, while one of the longer sides is open, where all the jump equipment and bungee cords are hanging ready for the next jumper. A guard rail cuts through the center of the space dividing anxiously waiting victims from the jump staff and current sacrificial offering who, ready or not, is about to jump into space. A portion of the floor in the waiting area is glass, which is structurally strong enough to be walk on. Two specially designed seats are stationed in the center of the room where the next jumpers are strapped in and last minute instructions given (much like the last rites of a person on their death bed). Once the instructions are completed you quietly ask yourself, did I get all that? What cord do I pull and when? Where do I stand? How do I form my body as I fall? Will I remember all this after I jump? DID I REMBEMBER TO USE THE RESTROOM BEFORE I CAME OUT HERE ON THE BRIDGE?

For the last hour the group had been debating who would go first? At the jump capsule we learned that there would be no heroic/brave volunteers, the jump company arranges the jumpers in descending order by weigh. So today was my lucky day, by 1.5 kg I was the first jumper for the afternoon.

My time to jump had come, the all clear was issued and I had been given all the last minute instructions. I’ve been asked to describe the jump and my feelings which I will do my best, however I think one or two more jumps will be required to give a better description.

One moment you find yourself in a familiar environment that you feel safe, happy and comfortable in , in my case a solid structural plane that resists the forces of gravity.

The next moment you are told that you will be deprived of that secure environment and placed in a new environment by violent means. I inched out on the plank (I inched out not because of fear but because my feet were securely strapped together, allowing me to waddle rather walk) without the slightest bit of fear, but then it happened, the heavy (15 lbs) bell shaped structure that attached the cord to my harness slipped over the edge of the plank as it should have. Here I was told to stand still in place, my toes hanging out into space and the heavy weight pulling at my ankles, it felt as if I would be pulled over the edge by my ankles and be deprived of the opportunity to jump.

It was at this moment that the fog of jet lag disappeared and the chemicals that induce the age old fight or flight response snapped on. What was I doing here? The scientific facts of gravity, learned so long ago by experience and study started to run through my mind. How fast would I fall (9.8 M/S^2) and would my body break if I hit the water? For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, would my legs pull apart as the cord recoiled? I shouldn’t be HERE!

“Ready mate? At the count of one JUMP…. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” The jump assistant shouts behind me.

No turning back now, it’s too late. My ankles coil, my knees bend, head out and chin up, here I go for the biggest physical leap of my life.

The fall only takes a second or so. No, my life did not flash before my eyes. As I fell I remember thinking how tranquil the water looked below. I remember feeling the wind in my face and the stretching of my facial skin as I sped up. After my feet left the platform I don’t remember any thoughts of fear or second guessing, rather I felt a surge of exhilaration and excitement, I was pushing my comfort zone and I knew everything would be all right.

At the moment I stretched the full length of the cord I was nearly vertical and upside down. I was snapped back from the water and sprung back up in the air. Despite being upside down and moving in many different directions I could take in the view of the bridge, boats, water, and city around.

As instructed I was able to count my bounces up and down, once, twice, and at the top of the third bounce I reached up and pulled the cord at my ankles, which release my ankles from the cord and swung me up into a comfortable vertical position. I was now being hung in the air by the body harness. I bounced a few more times and then was pulled back up to the capsule.

I cheated gravity with the assistance of an elastic cord. I would have jumped another 10 times that day had it not cost $95 per time.

After such an exciting event nothing of further consequence is worth recording for this day.

The following day (Friday) I went on a daylong bus tour of the city. It rained on and off all day. Had great fish and chips served in newspaper in Devonport.

Jet lag is starting to wear off. By Monday I will be ready for my first meeting with a recruiter.

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Photos

Auckland Harbor Bridge
View of Auckland Harbor Bridge from CBD. The jump was near the pier on the left hand side of the photo, just below the bus on the bridge.

Dead Man Walking
Harnessed and walking to the jump site.

Capsule
Jump platform (capsule) as seen from below.

The Fall
140 feet of freefall.

Read My Last Rites
Last minute instructions are given, I'm strapped up at the ankles and in a harness. I'm the first one to jump in our group.

Leap of Faith
See the ankles and knees? I'm beyond the point of return. Even if I try to pull up I'll be going over the edge. Better make it look good.

Walk the Plank
The last thing you read before going over the edge.

Lookout Below
Jumps are timed around ship traffic that passes directly beneath the platform.

Comments

[Jeanette]

Brave soul!
Since you were the first to jump of your group, did you get to watch others jump and their reactions before they took their leap?

[Uncle Cliff]

Taking the Jump
i've heard it said that it isn't the sudden stop at the bottom or the zero gravity free fall up to 200 mph that causes beaks of sweat to break out on the forehead it's the blood pressure rise when one looks down while in free fall and sees that the safety harnass has came loose and is flapping in the wind SCREAMING does NOT HELP and is considered poor style