Queenstown

I woke this morning and was excited at the prospect of doing my first bungy jump in New Zealand. I headed down to the station which was five minute walk from the campground. Today, I was doing the awesome foursome pack which included the Nevis bungy jump, shotover river boat ride, helicopter ride, and white water river rafting on the Kawarua River in Queenstown. I waited a little bit to be picked up this morning along with five or six other people who were doing the nevis bungy jump. I was a little excited and was looking for what I was hoping to be a thrilling experience. We made our way over to the Nevis site which is about a 30 minute drive from the center of town. The Nevis site is about two or three miles from the original bungy site at the Kawarua bridge and is the highest in New Zealand (134 meters - I hope I got that right?). We made our way to the Nevis site and our guide began to review the safety instructions and what was allowed at the bungy. The staff, some of them very new, proceeded to gear us up with harnesses and the necessary equipment to allow for the bungy. We through the building which is just a metal shed with some video equipment to the bungy site. It was until I walked out to the loading platform and got a look at what I would be jumping off of that the feeling of fear began to fill my body. The thing that scared me the most I think is the lack of any real structure between one side of the canyon and the other. The only thing linking one side of the canyon and the other were steel cables and the metal platform out in the middle looking straight down (everything was open - no enclosures).

1 Nevis

We made our way over to the bungy platform via a cable car contraption and proceeded to be outfitted with ankle braces. During the whole process, the staff made very little attempt to connect with any of us and treated us like an assembly line. The feeling of fear was growing inside of me and I was really started to get scared. The order of bungy jumping goes according to weight and I was the heaviest and therefore the first to go. The Staff gave us instruction we were to pull out a cord at the bottom of our ankle braces so we could be hoisted up in a seated position to enjoy the view a little more. We were to give this cord a hard tug after our second or third bounce on the bungy cord. I proceeded to the bungy platform and the fear factor kept building. I am not afraid of heights, but the fear building inside was really intense to say the least. The guy told me to say something into the camera (I was scared speechless). He told me to get up and pace my toes over the edge of the platform. I wanted to die when he said that to me (on the countdown to one I was to jump). I said screw fear and jumped, I mean it was why I was there and I was really looking forward to doing this New Zealand tradition.. I believe I held my breathe all the way down and felt frozen inside. I tried to pull the cord several times to get in a seated position, but I wasn't doing something right so I got hoisted back upside down. I really didn't know what to say when I got back on the platform and was shaking a little bit. I let out a little smile, but to be honest I really didn't enjoy that feeling of fear. I sat back up on the bench as instructed still shaking not really realizing it was over . The staff asked me if I wanted to go again and despite being scared, I would have done it had it not been the additional cost of $99.00. The other jumpers all did fine and came back up in their seated position seeming to enjoy the experience. I was relieved when one of the staff said he would be taking four of us back (me being one of them). The staff at the metal shed played the video and knowing the way I felt while I was doing it, I really didn't get any thrill watching myself on the TV. I got some nice pictures, a DVD, and a free t-shirt and a discount off other bungy site locations in Queenstown. I think I would have done other bungy jumps despite being scared to death, but the cost was prohibitive for only a few seconds of fun in my opinion.

1 Shotover

Our bus rider, Dave, asked us in the end if everyone had gotten what they had come here for. I'm not sure I got out of it what I was looking for, but I know what he was getting at. He drove us back the station and I had several hours to kill before the shotover , helicopter, and white water rafting experience. I headed back over to the station at 12:30 for the shotover river ride experience. The shotover ride was a fun little drive down the Kawarua river full of awesome scenery and 360 spins. I headed over to the white water rafting station right next door and changed into one of the wet suites they provided and flew in a helicopter to our departure location. I have to say I did not like the helicopter ride and I got headaches every time the pilot made a sharp turn right or left in the shotover canyon. The rafting guides, all young and in their twenties gave us instruction on river rafting and we made our way into the rafts. Our raft had all singles in it and I got to be in front which was fun because you get the most wet. The river rafting was fun and enjoyed a competitive run down the river to stay in front. Our team did well and not one of us fell out of the raft or flip over. (everyone enjoyed lunch afterwards). The Kawarua river has the second highest deposit of gold in the world (the first is the Yukon) and is full of old mining equipment. The water is extremely clean and drinkable. The full day trips are a lot of fun and a good value for the money.

Nevis

Paragliders from the gondola

Shotover - Kawarua