NQ takes NZ

Bungy jumping is one of those things I’ve always thought I might do. Like when people ask you, “Would you ever bungy jump?” the answer has always been “yeah duh.” I thought of it this way: bungy jumping is cool and I am also cool therefore I’m down with the bungy.

When my university chartered a bus to Queenstown, the ORIGIN CITY of bungy jumping, I decided I must do the bungy. And yes, they call it "bungy" there, so I have decided to spell accordingly. 

We left Lincoln on a Friday and endured a seven-hour bus ride before arriving in Queenstown. And I say “endured” but really when you’re looking at stuff

And also things

it’s not too bad.

But it was too late on Friday to do any crazy adventure stunts, so my bungy group of four agreed to jump on Saturday afternoon. Saturday morning, some of the crew was feeling a bit nervous. We jokingly asked each other, “Is there a bar nearby? I’m about to jump off a bridge.” 

...Except it wasn’t really a joke because soon enough I ended up with this:

After the bar, we went to the bungy station and were transported form there to the Kawarau Bridge, the location of the first commercial bungy site. We were weighed and literally signed our lives away (lol hi mom). Then out into the freezing cold we went, onto the bridge. And just like that we started harnessing up.

First they put you in the harness. This is not a weight-bearing harness, as was explained to me when I asked if it was uncomfortable to bungy naked (which people actually do), just a back-up.  Then they wrap your ankles with a towel and some straps and voila they prop you up and you shuffle to the diving platform. “Do you want to touch the water?” they ask. “Hands?” I say hesitantly, because I don’t want a lame jump but I’m not about to dunk my head in the frigid river. “Okay,” my guy says, “you need a big dive. If you just hop out there you’ll be dunked, but if you dive big you’ll just miss the water.” At this point I’m just thinking sorry I never learned proper bungy diving techniques what are you expecting from me. “When you get near the water, put your hands above your head and your chin against your chest. You don’t want your head to break the water.” So this is real now this is a real thing with safety precautions whoop we’re going.

Finally I’m on the platform and I look down (whoops) and it strikes me that I am jumping off a bridge. And it’s terrifying. But before I can bask in my terror too long, I hear “3, 2, 1,” and I jump!

WHOOOOOO what an absolute terror. Pure freefall and then suddenly I don’t know where I’m going or if I’m even falling anymore or if maybe I’m bouncing now. And I can’t stop laughing because man, what a thrill. And I look wildly around for the boys in the boat who are gonna get me down but I don’t even know where my hands are. 

Finally I spot them and grab the pole and they pull me in and I can’t stop laughing. “You’ve got the bungy giggles,” one of them says to me.

I have to say, the jump was one of the best moments of my life. Even now I can’t remember exactly how it felt but it was exhilarating beyond anything else I’ve ever done. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.