Queenstown

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Clare offered me a lift to Te Anua, she had been lent a car from a friend in Christchurch. We got just past Queenstown and it broke down. All power from the engine went and it wouldn’t start. Due to not being able to buy vouchers in New Zealand for her phone Clare was only able to text message to ask her friend how the AA works over here. Her friend had assured her that the AA covered the car. We spent a couple of relaxed hours sunbathing and chatting whilst text messages went back and forth. The final message arrived, problem with the policy, not covered. We hitched back to Queenstown, found a telephone and Clare phoned her friend, he had just called a tow company and the vehicle was about to be recovered. Clare then had to phone the towing company to explain that we were no longer with the car. The recovery man asked if he could break in? No problem anything needed. I found some where to stay.

Phil and Laura had stopped off at Queenstown, we spotted them randomly. Arranged to meet the next day. Queenstown has a cable car up to the mountains overlooking the town. At the top a luge - more or less unpowered Go-Karts, track goes down the mountain. Five rides for $30NZ, and the gondola up and back. Bargain. The luge races were so much fun, like Go-Karts but much easier to overtake. At certain points all wheels leave the ground. Highly recommended.

Queenstown is famous for its adventure and adrenaline sports. Though fun the Luge wouldn’t quite cut it with my friends back home. The largest bungy jump in New Zealand is the Nevis. At 134m - 440ft it’s named the Nevis after the gorge in which it is situated. The Nevis bungy takes place from a cable car, and takes around 8 seconds for the rope to stretch out to its full length. This would win me smidgen of admiration, plus I had wondered the whole trip if I would be able to actually leap off one of these things. I booked in for the following morning, and went to watch the James Bond movie.

In the night a fire alarm went off, 4.30am. The fire trucks turned up, discovered that there was no fire. Two firemen walked into a double glazed plate glass door and then they left. With even less sleep than I had hoped I went back to bed, 1hr and 3mins till the alarm and the date with the 134m jump.

I got up, feeling surprisingly calm about the whole bungy thing. Checked in at the AJ Hackett bungy centre, discovered that I weigh 74kgs and got onto a bus. On the bus an American guy named Eric was verbalising all his fears. I’ve never heard some one so scared actually lining up to do something that he is obviously terrified of. I felt very calm in comparison, though others in the bus didn’t and got him to shut up.

The view down the gorge was really impressive, I mean high, so high. Suddenly the whole thing felt like a really bad idea. The jumpers go in order, heaviest to lightest. I was the second lightest guy and only a few girls were to jump. Everyone gradually made there way across to the main platform in a small open gondola. I went too, so did a terrified Eric verbalising again.

At this point some of the heavier guys were already jumping, looking like tiny rag dolls hurtling towards the valley floor. Some screamed, others yelled a few made no sound at all.

Eventually my turn came, I was asked how I felt, in denial. I was clipped and strapped to the bungy and led out on to the platform. It was so high. The drop is over 200m, the river at the bottom is tiny. A last wave to the video camera and a nice big dive. I dived, I don’t think I would have won any points in any diving competition anywhere, but I did it with no hesitation. A milli-second after making the dive the terror hit my stomach, there was no way back at this point, a milli-second after that and it left. Falling towards the ground from around 200m is exhilarating, a huge rush of adrenaline hits you - the thought occurred to me that the same most happen when no bungy is attached. No life flashed, no screaming just falling and being amazed at how quickly the ground was coming towards me. The bungy kicked in and I was slowed and then ascending. No idea which way is up, then weightlessness, my arms turned in useless rotations trying help regain balance instinctively. I realised what they were doing and made them stop. Started to fall again. This went on for sometime.

Suspended upside down by my ankles about 100m above the valley floor I had some time to reflect on what I had just done. Something really stupid, lived through it and felt absolutely great. I remembered to pull the cord that set me upright for the hoist back to the platform. Got back on the platform to see Eric make the shuffle forward and jump. He made it though I have never seen someone quite as scared. When he got hoisted back up one of the guys working on the ropes said that they had never seen anyone so terrified actually jump all three of the bungys they operated, he had been terrified for every single one of them.

I’d had the presence of mind to get some to take a photo of me jumping, and that I share here. I purchased the video, and the photos, which are winging their way back to my mum (she doesn’t know about it yet though will probably read it here first).

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