Bungy Jumping, Queenstown

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The Kawarau Bridge Bungy is home to the original 43 metre Bungy Jump by AJ Hackett Bungy.

It's the world's first and probably most famous of leaps of faith towards the cold waters of the Kawarau River.

Kawarau Bridge Bungy is also the only Bungy in Queenstown where you can choose to bob above the water, touch it, or be fully immersed.

Price: NZ$175

Age: Minimum = 10 years
Weight: Minimum = 35kg, Maximum = 235kg

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For all you adrenaline junkies the Nevis Bungy is 134m high above the Nevis River and even getting there is an experience! First there's a rugged half hour 4WD trip before reaching the top of the canyon.

After being harnessed up at the main building, a bungy pod will take you across the valley to the jumping platform above the Nevis River.

If that's not enough for you then right next door to the Nevis Bungy is the Nevis Arc Swing which is the world's highest swing taking you on a high speed 300m arc over the canyon.

You can swing forwards, backwards, alone or tandem. You will be suspended high above the canyon floor and can release yourself, or let the crew make that decision for you!

The cost is NZ$370pp.

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This is the maddest, craziest, scariest thing I have ever done, I couldn't believe my eyes when AJ just took off at the word go!! A whole lot of profanities escaped his lips unawares once he took off and I heaved a sigh that after all I had married a normal person! ;) Ofcourse when my turn came I just refused to take off, my lack of skills in swimming only aggravating my fear of the free fall! However the AJ Hackett Team was awesome, they did a great job of being patient with me and finally coaxed me into jumping off the bridge! :D
The ones who do manage the jump are given tees and they cut a CD of our Jump and offered it on sale for around 30 NZ $

Of course, Queenstown has always been a wonderful place. But the international craze and the reputation of being the "Adventure Capital of the World" started in November 1988 when AJ Hackett opened the world's first commercial bungy site at the Kawarau Bridge. They have just celebrated the 20th birthday of bungy jumping.

The origins of this site go back to the 1880s when a bridge was built to connect Queenstown with the rest of Central Otago during the days of the gold rush. It was replaced in the 1960s but this one already fell into disrepair 20 years later. This was the time when AJ Hackett and a guy named Henry van Asch thought they could use it for adventurous purposes, and so they transformed it into the bungy jumping site it is now. It is the home of bungy. The original.

You plunge 43 metres to the Kawarau river. You can choose from topple over backwards, forwards, with another person, spin or somersault, and if you want to bob above the water, touch it, or be fully immersed.

Min. age is 10 years, min. weight 35kgs, max. weight 235kgs.

The price is NZ$ 150 including T-Shirt and transportation from Queenstown, if you need this.

AJ Hackett operates several other bungy ventures in Queenstown:

NEVIS HIGHWIRE BUNGY: I bet this is the ultimate challenge. After a rough 4WD trip to the site you drop 134 metres - in words: one hundred and thirty four metres!!! The free fall in the Nevis Valley takes eight and half seconds. Can be very long... ;-) Weight limits: 45 to 130 kgs, min. age 13yrs. Costs: $210.

THE LEDGE BUNGY: That is the harmless way of jumping. Access via the Gondola summit station. You fall 400 metres above Queenstown. If you keep your eyes open you have great views of the town and Lake Wakatipu. They pride themselves that this kind of bungy jumping has cured numerous cases of hiccups... ;-) Weight: 35 to 130 kgs, min. age 10yrs. Costs: $150, incl. Gondola ride.

THE LEDGE SWING: Doing it like the lemurs... Also operates at night. Weight: 30 to 130 kgs. Costs: $99, incl. Gondola ride.

A package of all 3 jumps costs $350.

All prices as April 2007.

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Yes, it is true that the modern act of bungy jumping did start in New Zealand. Yes, it is true that I personally think these people are looney. Yes, it is absolutely positively entertaining to watch.

According to the internet, bungy jumping evolved out of the rituals of people from the small island nation of Vanuatu who tie plant vines around their legs and jump from towers to ward off evil spirits. New Zealand just perfected it into a multi million dollar industry that ushers in adrenaline in the fastest way possible!

The original location of Kiwi AJ Hackett's endeavor is located on the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, NZ. Here, the mentally insane and other people seeking this adrenaline rush can jump to their death, or the bottom of the river, whichever comes first for 43 metres straight down (that's roughly 120 feet or 12 stories for those mathematically challenged). It looks and feels all of those 120 feet from the viewing podium available to you.

If you are truly out of your mind, and are going to do this, it is recommended that you go on your birthday, or if you are a man, try to arrive on Father's Day, as there is a special price for you. Sarah almost convinced her father to jump based on the savings alone, but luckily he opted out of it. The going rate at the time was $160NZD including t-shirt and transportation, so it would have only been $80 for him leaving us with plenty of money to cremate his body.

Definitely a rush and they are lovely people - whether you're the wild ready to go kind or the timid kind (I was the later one). Great view and their safety precautions have won awards not to mention it was started by the infamous bungyman AJ Hackett.

If you are into adventure skip everything else and go straight to the "Nevis", the 2nd largest bungy in the world. At a wopping 134M (440ft) at the top its truly only for the brave. Don't pass up the opportunity, not only does it earn you bragging rights but if live with fears this will definetely rid you of those fears if you can make yourself jump. The 8.5 second free fall left me speechless, its the most amazing feeling! They have a 100% safety record so there is nothing to worry about, don't miss out!

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Commercial bungy jumping got its start in New Zealand just outside Queenstown at the Kawarau Bridge. AJ Hackett’s original and most famous bungy site not only remains in operation but is still his most jumped site. The 43-meter jump lasts only a few seconds, but your smile will last much longer, particularly if this is your first jump. If you enjoy the Kawarau Bridge jump, you may also want to try the Nevis Highwire Bungy. At 134-meters, the Nevis jump is more than three times higher than the Kawarau Bridge jump, giving you more than 8 seconds of airtime. Having done both, I enjoyed the bridge jump more but only because it was my first and the novelty just wasn’t there when I did the Nevis jump. There are several other bungy jumping sites and operators throughout New Zealand, and not doing at least one jump is sacreligious.