Bungy Jumping

New Zealand is the home of many adventure sports. When I say "adventure sports" I mean wild and crazy activities that people in other countries wouldn't even THINK of doing!

Bungy jumping is one example. When you bungy jump, you jump off a bridge, face first, with a whole bunch of very long rubber bands tied to your legs. Just before crashing at the bottom, the rubber bands pull you back up so you bounce several times before you're left dangling upside down. Does this sound crazy to you? Would you pay $100 to do it?? Some people do!

Recently, I visited the famous Kawarau Bridge to watch the bungy jumpers. This is where bungy jumping all began. "Go to the edge of the world. Then jump off," is the saying for the A.J. Hackett Bungy Jumping Company.

8Imagine this....

You walk out onto a bridge that is high above a gorge, with a river flowing swiftly at the bottom. They tie a harness around your legs and your ankles, and then you take baby steps onto a platform on the outside of the bridge.

Looking down, you can see the rushing water far below. On both sides of you are the rocky walls of the cliffs that stretch down to the water's edge. Standing on both sides of the bridge are people watching to see if you're going to chicken out.

The person in charge tells you to dive head first off the platform. Everyone holds their breath waiting to see if you'll do it, or if you'll inch your way back to the safety of the bridge. Your heart is beating so hard and so quickly it feels as though it will break through your chest. It's impossible for you to get a deep breath. The instructor counts loudly, "One...two....three...JUMP!"

You dive head first over the edge! As you plummet toward the bottom of the canyon, everything becomes a blur as you wonder if your life is about to end. The wind pulls on your face. Your hair is a mass of frenzied dancers as the strands twist and twirl around each other. The sounds of the people above are drowned out by the roar of the river below as you get closer and closer. It seems like you've been dropping a long time, but it's really been just seconds.

At long last, the rubber bands feel the tension of your weight and pull you back up. You're saved! You feel yourself make a few large bounces before coming to rest, upside down, your head a few meters away from the river.

You're relieved to see the pick-up boat come and get you.

Click Here for Bungy Dive Video

Did I bungy jump you're asking?

Not I. Instead I went black water rafting, another adventure sport, but that's a story for another blog posting....

Would YOU go bungy jumping?!? Do you think your teacher would bungy jump???