New Zealand: Bungee Jumping

courtesy of peregrinari

With only a rope tied to your legs you throw yourself dozens of meters down, just before you think you might crash on the ground, you go back up really fast. Only real heroes dare to do this. New Zealand is the country where this great adrenaline rush has been invented! You can face this bizarre challenge at several spots. Queenstown is the spot where it all began and it offers you several types of jumps, and at night in the Mokai Gravity Canyon you can also go into the air horizontally and vertically. In New Zeeland, not only nature offers you a splendid panorama, before, during and after your jump, but you can also jump from the highest tower in the middle of Auckland city. Queenstown, southern island
Bungee Jumping: to let yourselves fall dozens of meters down with only one rubber band fastened to your legs, and just before you think of bumping against the ground you zoom back up. Literally and figuratively speaking you have to cross a daring border - and they gladly help you with it there in Queenstown - then you will really experience the ultimate thrill that you will never forget!

What is a better place to experience this, then in the city where Bungee Jumping started? The New-Zealander A.J. Hackett considered it a challenge to jump with only a rubber line tied to his ankles. He tried this first in 1986 from the Eiffel tower, and then he enthusiastically decided to share this mad experience with others. In 1988, he organized the first public Bungee Jump centre in the world in Queenstown. At AJ Hacket Bungee you can choose from several jumps that you book including the tour to get there. The Kawarau Suspension bridge was the first Bungee Jump spot and lies about 23 km outside of Queenstown. Here you fall off a platform 45 meters down. Do not forget in advance to look around, because the surroundings are really beautiful! On top of Bob’s Peak with view over the city, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables, you find The Ledge. Here you can choose between a ‘mild’ and a ‘wild’ jump of 47 m.  You can make a jump of 71 m. at the Skipper’s Canyon Bridge. This is really spectacular because you jump from the Shotover River into the Grand Canyon of New Zealand. For more adrenalin you can also jump at night during the Full Moon Bungee. Inform yourself in advance of the possibilities.

Not exciting enough? Then do the Pipeline Bungee! This also takes place in the Skipper’s Canyon but here you jump from a pipe line with an altitude of 102 m. The excursion to get there is already adventurous because you can drive only with 4WD through this rough terrain. But the real dare devils go for the newest acquisition in Bungee Jumps: The Nevis Highwire. A cable, that crosses a 380 m. canyon, has been stretched above the Nevis River on which a gondola is hanging… in 134 m altitude. And you can jump off it with a speed of 128 km per hour! Here you will have a free fall of no less than 8.4 seconds. This is one of the highest Bungee Jumps in the world, so if you dare…

Queenstown lies at Highway 6 in the south of southern island. For further information and prices refer to the Queenstown Bungee Center on the corner of the Shotover and Camp Street in the centre of the city.

Mokai Gravity Canyon, northern island
That New Zealand is famous for it adventure sports, is known. Provocative nature lures thrill seekers who not only want to experience the surroundings by means of a good walk, but also want to fly and  fall down and swinging in the air! And all this is possible at Mokai Gravity Canyon at Taihape. Here is the highest Bungee Jump of the northern island. From an 80 m. altitude you dive into the narrow Mokai Canyon and experience a free fall of 5 seconds! If you are totally used to Bungee Jumping already, then there is still another challenge: the World’s most extreme Flying Fox. Here you can fly with no less than 160 km/hr. on a cord about 8 m. over the water! And if you are not frightened of the dark, then you can also go through the sky both horizontally and vertically, at night, because the Bungee Jump and the Flying Fox both operate into the night.

If you have experienced all this, then the Kiwi’s know another fun thing to do: the Swing Bridge. With 200 people at a time you swing speedily through the Mokoi Canyon! This is only for the strong-hearted! If you’re not an adventurous hero, or are simply sane, then you can also enjoy a cup tea or cafe late in ‘the Gravity’ café. There you have a perfect view of the nerves of anyone who ventures themselves to the Bungee Jump, Flying fox or the Swing Bridge for the first time. And of course, just like in the rest of New Zealand, the surroundings are splendid and you can enjoy great walks here.
The Mokai Gravity Canyon lies 5 km. to the south of Taihepe on northern island. On Highway 1 there are signs which indicate the Mokai Gravity Canyon.

Taupo Bungee, northern island
Although this is not the highest Bungee Jump-start, at Lake Taupo, it is nevertheless, spectacular as well! Above the splendid volcanic Waikato River Valley a platform that sticks out 20 m. from a cliff has been built. This platform is strong enough to hold you with 99 others 45 m. above the Waikato River. Thus you can see a lot of dare devils jump in the direction of the river before and after you. At Taupo Bungee you can choose from a solo and a tandem jump and if you do or do not want a ‘water touch’. Ingeniously sophisticated jumping technology is applied, with which you can touch the water of the Waikato River for a second. Of course you can get a video tape as proof of your heroic action for your friends at home or for yourselves when you didn’t dare to open your eyes because of your own fear.
You will find Taupo Bungee at the Spa road in Taupo, on highway 1 and 5 on northern island.

Christchurch Bungee Rocket, southern island
This adrenalin rush is unique in its type in New Zealand! Instead of jumping from above, downwards, you are being shot off the ground into the air in the Bungee Rocket. Stringed in a special Bungee Rocket Launch Vehicle you fly with a speed of 160 km/hr. towards the sky. For a moment you feel weightless and then you are being pulled back to earth like crazy and you keep on flying back and forth for a while. This is really a great experience and suitable for every age. The Bungee Rocket lies next to the beautiful coast of Christchurch, so if you’d rather leave the Bungee Rocket to real adrenalin kickers, you still have a beautiful view.
You will find The Bungee Rocket in the New Brighton Mall in Christchurch. Christchurch lies on the East coast of southern island at Highway 1.

Auckland Sky Tower, northern island
In 1997, the center of Auckland was freshened up thanks to the arrival of Sky city with, as its largest attraction, the impressive Sky Tower which is no less than 318 m. high. The tower can nowadays call itself the highest tower of the Southern hemisphere! And you can jump down from it! This Sky jump is the highest jump that you can make from a tower in the world. It is no ordinary Bungee Jump because from the Sky Tower you do not hang upside down from a cord. Here you put on a real flying suit! Then you go up, you enjoy the view for a bit and you jump down like Superman or Superwoman. With a speed of 75 km/hr. you go down for about 18 seconds and you land softly on the ground on two feet. The entrance of Sky Tower is in the center of Auckland in Hobson Street, a side street of Queens Street.

Auckland Harbour bridge, northern island
For a unique experience you should jump from the Harbour Bridge in Auckland. Although this jump is ‘only’ 40 meters high, you can make it as fun as you want. There are, as it happens, several ways to ‘water touch’. This implies that you yourself can choose how far you touch the water. Do you prefer this with the tips of your fingers, or dare you go with your shoulders? For the real adventurer you can even immerse your entire body, whereupon you are being pulled up to dangle back and forth above the port. Can you keep your eyes open during the jump? Then enjoy the beautiful view of the city for a moment. When you are done dangling, you will be pulled up by means of a special system. For this you don’t have to do anything, thus, if you missed the view during the jump, here’s your second chance. Did you come up safely? Then you get a t-shirt as a souvenir and you can still take a walk over the bridge.
Nice to know: In an attempt to phone and jump at the same time, 12 people have already let their phones fall into the water.