55a. Bungy from Auckland Harbour Bridge

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"Bungy as we know it today started with a small group of individuals who have been throwing themselves from huge towers for centuries with nothing more than a few vines tied to their feet - the people of Vanuatu in the Pacific", says the blurb on the AJ Hackett website, the company that has replaced vines with thousands of pieces of thin white elastic all meshed together. The principle is still the same though! Nick's sister Alex and husband Cevan arrived into New Zealand from Sydney at 1:45pm on Friday afternoon, and by 2:30pm the four of us were in the AJ Hackett office booking our bungy jumps. We got strapped in our harnesses, and walked along the inside of the bridge, to the special bungy pod, 40m above the blue-green waters of Auckland harbour...

Cevan writes:
Take a bridge, a perfectly normal, fully functioning 40-odd metre high bridge... attach a couple of 1000 very long pieces of elastic to your ankles and lean off said bridge with arms oustretched after waving to camera.... ENTER THE DRAGON!!!! See Cevan's jump here.

Alex writes:
Walking along the bridge, I was ok - didn't want to look down at the water! then had to climb a steep staircase and I felt very nervous...waiting to get my feet 'bound' I was worrying about the jump...waddling to the platform to jump I was not sure I could go through with it - fatal error - I had looked down. I backed away not thinking I could go ahead - I then bit down onto my hand and looked ahead - 3-2-1-bungee and I fell - there was total silence and it was very peaceful. I enjoyed swinging upside down for a while! Was much better then expected - plus I survived to get the t-shirt - I still cannot believe I jumped off! See Alex's jump here.

Paula writes:
Well, I had succeeded in the days leading up to this in lending as little thought as possible to my first bungy jump, but now it just had to be done. Apparently 1 in 100 people decline at the last minute but I was determined not to be one of them. I was sure i was going to jump, I just couldn't picture just how. The weather was perfect, a sunny and bright Auckland winter's day and the sunlight glistened on the green/blue water as we walked to the middle of the bridge on a level below all the zooming traffic. Now it's my turn...I have to shuffle to the edge platform with my fixed to one another but thankfully also linked to my waist harness. More and more nervous as I sense less and less floor around me, but my guide spurs me on with "Don't be afraid, go on, get ANGRY with it". My expression transforms from one of trepidaion to aggression and I dive gracefully (I hope!) off the platform. Oh, the peacefulness and fabulous views as I dangled there. Unbeatable. See Paula's jump here.

Nick writes:
Walking along the bridge to the jump platform it didn't seem so high, but actually the gradient increased bit-by-bit so that 10 minutes later the drop was big enough, the water frothing below looked inviting and daunting at the same time. I was not happy being jumper #13 and then when it was my time at the edge, I had to wait for a yacht to move out of the way before they would let me go! I managed to turn off my brain and leap forward into the blue, twisting around as I fell and then crashing into the water down to my knees. Boiiiing! See Nick's jump here.

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Photos

Tanker passing in front of Rangitoto volcano
Near the Harbour Bridge

Alex back on solid ground
See the bite marks

Comments

[lexie lou]

woo-woo
waaaaaaaaaa is all i can say - i have watched the video a number of times and you know what? i can't believe it...i really can't - ready for the next one now...!! xxx