DAY 15 KIWI EXPERIENCE
THE NEVIS BUNGEE JUMP
Off to do the Nevis bungee jump today, and after last nights events I have felt much better. Apparently it’s a great hangover cure. There are 7 of us going so should make for a good time.
Between this and yesterdays bungee you can’t compare them. Even the drive up to the valley and then the little gondola trip makes you feel so much more isolated. They don’t do much to high the drop either as the floor is just mesh wire so if you can’t get on the gondola then you’ve no hope. Once you reach the platform which is suspended in itself between the 2 hills over the gorge there is a glass floor so its you’ve made it this far then there’s a good chance you’ll go through with it!
WHERE IS THE NEVIS BUNGEE?
The Nevis Bungee Jump
IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE
It’s done in order of weight so I was down the list a bit. Kate (an Irish girl from the bus) wasn’t able to bring herself to do it, she had all the hardwork done and stood at the edge for a few minutes but couldn’t bring herself to jump. She was pissed off and you tell even though she was scared she really wanted to do it. She asked to be pushed but the guy couldn’t, that’s the whole point of doing the bungee. Credit to her, she gave it everything.
After the others had jumped and to be fair to them all without a hitch, I couldn’t wait. I’ve never been a fan of heights but when I know I’m safe I’m alright. I felt a lot more confident than I did yesterday and just as excited, a lot of people had said this was better. Walking through the gate and into the end zone the instructor said and hello and said,
I recognise you from yesterday, you’re the one that took your top off during the Kawarau Bungee?”
There was me yesterday taking my shirt of before the jump and giving it Billy Big Balls, I was expecting him to take me down a few notches today. In all fairness the instructors are top guys, even with Kate they couldn’t have been nicer!
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A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
There are many differences that I noticed during this jump. You’re pushed into the seat which is the first difference, during the Kawarau Jump you’re on the floor. Then it’s time to get harnessed in. This was the second major difference to the Kawarau jump as it was a full body harness as opposed to the one that just fitted around my legs.
Standing up, shuffling forward and looking down made the third difference immediately clear but again I tried to maintain a straight face as I had the other 6 looking over at me. The last thing you should be doing is standing out there thinking about what’s going to happen. As if you do then the chances of you actually jumping falls (pun intended).
The Nevis Bungee Jump
THE RITUAL 🤙🏻
Standing at the edge you will never feel so alive but in a way probably as close to death as ever. The instructor always keeps a hand on your harness just to make sure you don’t trip or feel the urge to jump early. He points at the cameras, we do the 🤙🏻, gives you pat on the back and counts you down.
This bungee might be a hell of a lot higher but it still takes no time before its done! You don’t even come close to the ground at this one, another reason why the Kawarau Bungee currently remains my favourite!
The final difference I noticed was being hoisted up to the top again instead of being lowered to the ground. I was given directions to pull a tag which unclips my legs putting me into an up right position otherwise you’d probably pass out from the blood flow to the head. The bungee took all of a few seconds but it could take up to a minute to get back to the pod. Dangling precariously at such a height for so long made it worse than the bungee!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I might have done 2 bungees within 24 hours but they were entirely different. The one thing I learned was that its not all about the height that makes or breaks a bungee but everything else. Yes i enjoyed the smaller one as diving into the water was something completely unique but the trip out to the pod was a feature and a challenge in itself. It sure added to the experience. Would I do it again, yes but only after I done the Kawarau jump up the road.
NEXT UP
I’m doing the biggest canyon swing in the world with Anna tandem style as part of the bungee package. Never been closer to getting a punch from a girl Click to read and watch.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
25/229
This post is part of The New Zealand and Fiji Series, click to explore.
