You don’t know real fear until you’re standing on a ledge 134m above a river. Sure, I had already gone skydiving from 14,000 feet in Australia but bungy jumping is somehow much scarier. It might be because you have to decide to jump for yourself or the fact that you’re going from zero to a thousand in a matter of seconds. Regardless, doing the Nevis Bungy – New Zealand’s highest bungy jump – is something I’ll never forget!
What to Expect From the Nevis Bungy
If you’re thinking about doing this bungy here’s everything you need to know:
- Price – $275 NZ – You can find specials when booking through their website.
- Age & weight requirements – You must be at least 13 years old and between 45-127 kg.
- Freefall – 8.5 seconds. It doesn’t sound like much but you’d be surprised how long it feels when you’re jumping from that height!
- How to get there – You can take the Bungy Bus from Queenstown at various times.
- What to wear – Tight-fitting clothes and closed shoes. Make sure your shoes are on tight or you could end up losing them when you jump (I saw this happen to someone with my own two eyes)!
The Experience
When you first get to the Nevis Bungy you’re weighed and that number is recorded to determine the order of the jumps. Then you get suited up with a harness. Once the harness is on, you’re taken to a platform where you get on a small cable car to take you over to the platform.
This might be the scariest part as you travel over the gorge in a small cart. The day I was jumping was a bit windy, making it that much scarier. I was doing the jump alone but other people jump at the same time so I made friends with a guy from the US who was also there alone.
After a few minutes, you reach the jump site. The staff members check your harnesses for a second time and ask you how you’re feeling about the jump. There’s also loud music playing to get you hyped up about the jump. You’ll be told the order of the jumps and can watch as other people jump from the glass floor.
While some bungy jumps collect you from the bottom of the jump, the Nevis Bungy brings you back to the jump site. You’ll get an explanation for how to turn yourself upright before they hoist you back up before you jump. If you don’t pull the rope correctly, you’ll be pulled back up while you’re upside down, which is fine but not ideal!
When it’s time for you to jump, your harnesses are checked for the third time. Then you’re helped onto the platform which looks something like a diving board. For the best jump, you should aim to swan dive straight ahead. At this point your heart will most likely be pounding out of your chest – I know mine was!
Suddenly you’ll have a countdown from 3. Since the day I jumped was especially windy, we had to wait for the wind to die down in between jumps and were told to jump right after the countdown or we’d run the risk of having to wait on the ledge until it was less windy.
I think that was the push I needed to jump because I was terrified of having to wait on the edge!
Tips for the Nevis Bungy
- Don’t look down – When you’re standing on the ledge, the WORST thing you can do is look down! Just look straight ahead before you jump, otherwise you might bail on the jump and you won’t get a refund.
- Do your best swan dive – Remember that you’re going to be walking away with photo and video evidence of this jump, so make it look good! You don’t want to show your friends and family a sad looking jump.
- It’s over before you know it – Even if you’re terrified, it’s only 8.5 seconds of your life. You’ll never regret facing your fears head on but you could regret not doing it.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Bungy jumping is a mind game. If you can move past the fear that something will go wrong and jump, you’ll feel incredible! The adrenaline rush afterwards is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Knowing that you’re capable of doing something not many people would do in their lifetime is an unreal feeling and I’d recommend everyone try bungy jumping once.
Want more New Zealand content? Check out my other New Zealand blogs and feel free to DM me on Insta if you have any questions. I also share budget travel and digital nomad content on TikTok each day!
See you next week with a new blog.
Cheers,
Amy xx
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