Kia Ora from New Zealand! I have so much to write about our trip, but for now, here is a quick story about bungy jumping.
Yesterday, as we were driving along the Kawarau River on our way from Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand to the mountain village of Wanaka, we stumbled upon the parking lot of AJ Hackett’s bungy jumping operation located near the historic Kawarau Bridge. This is the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping.
We pulled over to check the place out. The Kawarau Bridge is 142 feet above the Kawarau River. The bungy company maintains the bridge which is now a historic landmark. When we arrived, there were no jumpers in the queue, but there were a lot of people on the sidelines assessing the distance between the jumping platform and the river. Definitely shudder-worthy stuff.
All I could think about was what it must feel like to step off the ledge. I mean people aren’t doing this in anguish. I had just seen a stunning production of King Lear in Wellington the night before. Lear was mad as hell as he stood out on the ledge; these jumpers were jovial. I guess I am not a thrill seeker, but man was I ever intrigued by the IDEA of jumping. So intrigued, I kept trying to photograph the actual stepping off the ledge part, as if, in doing so, I would get a glimpse into the head of a person crazy or brave enough to do something so primal, yet according to friends who have jumped, exhilarating.
As I was busy overthinking the situation, this superhero showed up.
I followed Spiderman out to the ledge/heath/platform to get a closer look.
Here’s the drill on the bungy jumping operation. First, a staff attaches a fail-safe harness around the jumper’s waist.
While a staff member prepped Spiderman, the first jumper of the day walked out onto the platform where another staff member, himself tethered to a safety cord, wrapped a thick towel around the jumper’s shins and ankles (so there wouldn’t be any bruising). Next, the attendant attached an ankle harness over the towel and clipped on the long bungy cord.
With glee, the guy jumped and was clapping as he did so! His mates cheered him on.
A retrieval boat, tied up to a dock at the foot of the canyon, was right there to pick him up.
The next guy to jump brought his GoPro. These guys were confident.
Ready,
set,
go,
swing,
and smile for the camera. Terrifying!
Back to Spiderman
Having checked all attachments, and with a handshake to seal the deal,
Spiderman dove
and was retrieved.
I’m glad we made this little detour. No, I did not jump.
Other Travel Stories
The Kennedy Bunker, a Cold War Monument in Palm Beach
Cranberry Love in Cape Cod
The Tobacco Barns of Trigg County, Kentucky
The Sheep of Nashville: The Chew Crew
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© 2014-2017 Judy Wright. All rights reserved. Photos and text may only be used with written consent.
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I’m with you – I’ll take the pics! Rest room door is too funny!
Judy I am so glad you posted this! I jumped off that bridge in 1991 before bungee jumping was a thing. I sent my picture to my parents and they about flipped! New Zealand is a beautiful country.
Wow, Julia! They started in 1988. I can’t imagine it was as sophisticated (read, safety conscious) then as it is now. You were brave, girl!! I’d like to see a picture.
What a great story! I feel that I was right there with you. Thanks for sharing Judy. Can’t wait to read more about your adventures!
Thanks, Malinda. Starting our long trip home. I hate to leave.
How lovely that you are in NZ! It’s top of my list for places I’ve longed to visit. Looking forward to hearing about your trip!
Bungee jumping has never appealed to me at all, even when I was a youngster and had a little more flexibility in my joints. But the first time I saw video of someone BASE jumping wearing a wing suit, I was enraptured. Would I do it? If I had the opportunity, honestly…how could I NOT?
Quinn! You are brave. BASE jumping seems more extreme than bungy jumping! I’ll pass on both. I’ve thought about you and your goats while I’ve been in sheep and beef country for the last two weeks. Want sheep.
I nearly got dizzy just looking at the photos! I did a zip line once and would have backed out if that had been an option. But they said once I was on the platform the only way to end the experience (i.e. misery) was to step off. And when I did, it was thrilling! Would I do it again? No.
So you weren’t always a grandmother?! 🙂 I didn’t try zip line jumping either. I guess I missed the extreme sport gene.I love that you did it though. It looked like fun. I have been missing good wifi coverage for the last two weeks. Looking forward to catching up my blog reading (and writing!).
Ha. I was just a mother once. The zip line incident was when I was chaperone for a 6th grade trip. I had talked hard, encouraging the timid ones to do the zip line. They all did. Then they used my own words against me.
I didn’t count on that.