Feel the fear and do it anyway!

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[youtube=nrkDUAiMffU]

A lovely DOC camp site at the northern edge of Lake Wanaka was our home for one night. After an afternoon in the sun Philippe turned cub scout on me and made a camp fire out of twigs and a cornflakes box. We cooked a simple meal on our little gas burner and baked potatoes in the heat of the camp fire. Occasionally Philippe would disappear to collect driftwood from the beach to keep it burning. As the stunning evening views of the lake disappeared into the night sky we were able to pick out the stars we had seen in Chile. It was a truer form of camping than we have so far done on this trip and we just settled in to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Sadly we were not the only residents of the camp site. As we figured out the following morning it was also home to hundreds of sand flies and they had seen fit to have their own evening meal: us! After comparing bites, we itchily made our way into Wanaka town to find a more habitable camp site. Our route took us via Lake Hawea (pronounced Howiya) and for an hour we were surrounded by beautiful views. On our way into town we stopped off to find our way around the maze in Stuart Farnboroughs Puzzleworld, and to try to get our heads around the weird illusions on display there. Smothering with colds and tired of restraining ourselves from scratching the welts on our bodies, when we reached the campsite we decided we deserved a slap up dinner in a nice restaurant. In the end we chose an American style BBQ restaurant that we essentially had to ourselves. Throughout the meal we were chatting to the American waitress and chef and their company and a few cool beers was enough to take our minds off our misery for a while.

Back on the camp site that night we were convinced that the little beggars were still biting us but we couldn't see them. This point proved accurate the following morning when yet more welts appeared. We postponed our travel for a day and cleaned out Bitsy from top to bottom, and Philippe took great pleasure from whacking our mattress with the frying pan! It also gave us another day in the sun to recover from our colds.

After a bite free night, we travelled the short distance to Queenstown the following morning. Once there our only goal was to book some activities for the next day. The main one being my Nevis bungy jump: 240 NZ dollars to jump and a further 50 bucks for Philippe to watch. It seemed a bit steep (but then so was the drop!), but having promised myself Id do it I handed over my plastic friend and was signed up for a 10.30am pick-up. Gulp. We investigated a few more activities - the Shotover Jet Boat seemed promising, but we thought it best not to book until after I had survived the jump!

The rest of the day passed in a blur as I steadily ignored the nerves that were building in my stomach. We chilled out for the afternoon and had a fish and chips dinner at the lake front and retired to Bitsy for the night. Queenstown is a really nice town with a buzzing night life.

I was surprised by how well I slept, but then again, not many things come between me and my sleep. I awoke with a strange buzz about me, but I refused to acknowledge it. After a light breakfast we walked down to the Station House for my 10am check-in. Over three minutes you are weighed twice and basically sign away your life and any legal obligations on the part of AJ Hackett. Surprisingly Philippe also had to sign a spectators waiver, promising not to sue for emotional distress if I splatted on the rocks in front of him. Then you have to sit and wait for the bus to pick you up...

The bus was fairly full. Most people were doing the bungy jump, but a few were trying the Nevis Arc Swing. The bus driver introduced himself and told us we were at the beginning of an emotional rollercoaster - we were guaranteed to feel both very afraid and very happy over the next 3 hours. Then he plugged in his MP3 player and “You're going to die”, “Bang, bang I shot you down”, “Under the bridge” and basically any song that had any reference to falling to your death, blared out of the radio for the next 30 minutes. We all giggled in the beginning and then the bus fell into a pensive mood.

We drove by the Kawarau Bungy Bridge which our guide delighted in telling us was the first bungy ever in the world and was 43metres high. He reminded us that we had committed to falling a distance of three times that! I tried not to take in the distance, but you couldn't help but multiply it up. I gulped again and then I started smiling! I tried to keep a positive excitement about me, because I knew that the minute I let that slip away, I just wouldn't do the jump.

A short while later we turned onto private property. With everyone eagerly looking to get a glimpse of the pod, the bus started up a steep incline. Over the top of the incline we got our first look at the Arc swing and then of the pod that was balancing on two taut metal ropes over a gorge with a humongous drop. Keep smiling....Just keep smiling.

Funnily enough everyone needed to use the bathroom before stepping into our harnesses. As Philippe was snapping away, capturing the moment, I refused to look scarily nervous for him. I just kept smiling as we were led out to the viewing point where Philippe would base himself for my jump. After a pep talk to explain the procedure and inspire even more fear (as if it was necessary!), I gave Philippe a peck, said see ya later and stepped into the little trolley bus that would bring us out to the pod.

Of course the trolley bus had a gridded floor allowing us an excellent view of the drop below us. And then the first jumper fell. And just kept falling. From our vantage point it looked like he had tipped the rocks below before he bounced back up. On your second or third bounce up you need to pull a cord that releases your feet and rights you up into a seating position. As he did this, he waved at us, and was pulled back up into the pod.

I don't think I ever stopped smiling in the pod. It was purely a coping mechanism. I can't claim to have enjoyed the wait, only that it meant delaying the inevitable! As the only girl I was nearly the lightest of the bunch and therefore had to wait until six people had jumped before me. The pod has a glass panel in the floor, so that meant watching six people dive. It also meant I saw six people survive, so in a strange way it was reassuring.

Floh, a kind German girl whos boyfriend was jumping, assumed resident photographer status and tried to capture the atmosphere in the pod. We formed a merry group, offering each other encouragement and congratulations, doing anything we could to shake off the nervous energy in the room.

I was getting my leg straps put on as the first few jumpers made it back onto the pod. Finally my turn came round. You know you are up next because you are the one sitting in the big black chair! As I made small talk with the bungy operator, I made sure to understand the process of pulling the strap to right myself. He attached the green bungy cone to my legs and to my harness. After a quick photo and once the previous jumper was safely in the pod, I began my waddle toward the plank.

My plan had been to essentially run towards it and jump without thinking about it. I knew I had to jump forwards, like diving into a swimming pool, but you have to pause there, standing on a 60cm² platform, 134 metres above the gorge until the operator lowers the green bungy cone in front of you.

Then he says three, two, one and he lets go.... (CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR A VIDEO CLIP)

How I did it I don't think I will ever know but my hands formed an arch and my feet left the platform as I dived out into thin air. And then I was hurtling at 140km/hour to the bottom of the gorge.

I don't think my brain really caught up with what I had done for the first 2 seconds. Then it was as if it said “What the hell are you doing??!” But it was too late, I was whooshing down in a straight line, eyes open, staring at a pile of rocks and water below me. And then I wasn't any more because the cord ricocheted back up and I was bouncing upside down over the gorge, giggling and screaming in delight.

On bounce three I yanked my foot release rope and nothing happened!! On bounce four I did the same. I was pulling with all my upside-down might and it just wouldn't release. I knew they could pull me up even if I was upside down, so I decided to give into it, and remain upside down enjoying the sensation.

Seconds later as I was being pulled back up towards the pod I tried again and this time it release and I was sitting, suspended by the bungy cord, waving over to Philippe.

A 67 years old Dutch man was rigged out to jump as I was brought back into the safety of the pod. Over 65s can jump for free, and he was game. I wished him well, and then tried to comprehend what I had just been through myself. I was high. High off the ground but also high on the sheer exhilaration of it all. It was a fantastic experience, and I was so happy I hadn't chickened out. Even as I write about it here I can relive the adrenalin rush of speeding unsupported through thin air.
Just amazing!

With the final jumper back on the pod we boarded the trolley bus to get back to safe land where Philippe was waiting with a hug and a camcorder. I could barely talk, and certainly wasn't yet able to describe it to him, but I was grinning from ear to ear.

We went back into the centre to watch their footage of my jump and, expensive as it was, I had to buy it. I needed the proof to watch in years to come. Then, in a town where we thought we knew nobody, we bumped into the chef and waitress from Wanaka who were about to do the Nevis Arc. It really is a small world! We wished them luck and arranged to get a copy of Flohs photographs.
It was definitely a much more relaxed bunch of people that boarded the bus than the one that had arrived two hours previous.

After a calming lunch at the camp site, we decided to have a go at the skyline luge cars on the hill above Queenstown. This meant a cable car ride for Philippe but he didn't even flinch at the prospect. Playing on the luge was really good old fashioned fun. Philippe of course had to get the maximum out of his engine-less car, refusing to break around the hairpin turns. For my part, I was more fearless than usual, presumably down to the adrenalin that was still coursing through me.

To round off the action packed day we decided to have a go on the Shotover Jet Boat. Safely stowed in the front seat beside the driver we were skilfully brought along the river through the narrow Shotover Gorge. Skimming over the freezing water we narrowly avoided the rocks the lined the edges of the gorge. The driver made a point of nearly hitting every obstacle he could find, and regularly soaked us with violent 360º turns. It was exhilarating, in a different way to the bungy jump. I guess it is because for this we were entirely in the hands of the boat driver (who I would imagine is very good at computer racing games!).

By the end of the evening I was drained of all energy. The day was a true rollercoaster of emotion, but one of the best days of my life!

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Photos

Philippe at Puzzleworld
He is actually standing up straight.

Comments

[Eileen]

Upside down
Wow, Wow, wow !!!. What an experience. I was nervous watching the picture when you stepped out and waited to jump.

[karin counet]

your jump
Sinead, your jump was 'rather nice', I didn't feel it in my stomach when I was watching the video...

[karin counet]

my english group
Hi Sinead, With my English group we were reading your blog about the pale green people on the boat and bitsy in the mud. They told me to let you know that your English is really beautifull and they loved your funny details. I have to give you their compliments and greetings. Special from teacher Tavenier.

[Daireann]

fair play 2 u
So jealous???!.... watching the video.