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by Meg Draffin
As a self-confessed adrenaline junkie, experiencing New Zealand’s highest bungy jump has been on my bucket list since I first visited Queenstown when I was twelve. Whilst I was nervous about free-falling for 8.5 seconds, there is nothing quite like taking a giant leap (literally) out of our comfort zone! Plus the view on the way down is priceless. I was also lucky enough to be one of the first people to take on the Nevis Catapult (yep, I said catapult!) which sounds just as crazy and amazing as you think. On a recent trip to Queenstown I managed to tick both these once-in-a-lifetime experiences off my bucket list on the same day and survived to tell the tale...
The Nevis Bungy
While I'm not one to shy away from heights, as I stood on the tiny platform suspended by high wires between two canyons 134m above the beautiful Nevis River, I was nervous (cue jelly legs). The hardest part is just getting yourself to the edge of the ledge and actually jumping - it all gets much easier after that!
Gift a Nevis Bungy.
Within the group of 12 people jumping, I was second last, which meant I had plenty of time to watch others and take notes on the perfect swan-dive technique. I wanted to make sure that I was jumping off in style and that I looked like a pro (despite my internal butterflies). Whilst my heart was definitely racing, my time was up and I managed to step up onto the ledge…3,2,1, bungy time!
There is no other feeling in the world like going full throttle off a 134m bungy. I felt a mixture of adrenaline, a little fear and astonishment. After a few seconds of waiting for my stomach to catch up with the rest of my body, I was able to take in the most amazing views of my life (whilst also letting out a few screams along the way). I had successfully completed NZ’s highest bungy and it felt pretty awesome.
The Nevis Catapult
Why stop at a bungy jump when I could conquer two epic bucket list items in one day? I was definitely on an adrenaline-high after the bungy, which gave me the courage to take on a world first... The Nevis Catapult Thriller. The Catapult only opened two days before I did it (now that’s pretty extreme). Let's just say this latest adventure is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Gift a Nevis Catapult.
Have you ever seen a video of something that looks fast, but when you see it in real life it is so much faster? That's what happened with the Catapult! You’re propelled 150m, experiencing up to 3Gs of force as you reach speeds of almost 100kms an hour in just 1.5 seconds (yep, I said seconds). This is definitely an experience for your bucket list.
My blood was pumping as I was strapped in, anticipating the insane speeds I was about to reach. As I was propelled across the Nevis Valley faster than I could blink, I couldn’t believe I had just conquered this insane thriller ride. This was the ultimate hair-raising experience that I would recommend to all the adrenaline junkies out there. My feet may have safely reached the platform after the experience, but my head was still spinning. These will be two RedBalloon experiences I will talk about for years to come and they’ve definitely earned me some bragging points on in the office.
Images by AJ Hackett Bungy NZ.
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