Let’s all jump off a ledge we said…How we survived Queenstown’s playground: Part 2

In continuation of our last blog, here is part 2 of our bungy jumping bonanza-craziness adventure whilst in Queenstown!

…To get to Nevis, which is a suspended platform in the middle of mountains, you have to take a very open and very terrifying gondola across. You are attached to the top by your harness, but really there is a lot of space around you to make you feel like your just suspended by a metal frame mid air that could plumet any second. It hasn’t and I’d like to say it never will because they are awesome at thier jobs, but man that is how I felt.

Someone is a little nervous…

Bob and Leonne were their to distract my attention, but once we arrived at the platform and one of the staff opened the door to let us on, I was crying and very much not ready to jump.

Now Alex was also nervous, after all who jumps off a 134m platform suspended between mountains without slightly shitting themselves? Well maybe a bunch of guys who went before us, but otherwise even with his nerves Alex held it together so well. I know he was trying to not show it for my sake, who could definitely not keep it in, but it was a scary thing to do. A few jumped before us, like I mentioned and then Alex’s name was called. It was great because it was all randomized and we could not predict when it was our turn, just go once it was.

He was taken past the small gate, placed in a dentist type chair, attached to the bungy and all the supports. I’m balling my eyes out and shaking like I’m in the snow in shorts, nervous for him. He is supported out of the chair and then walked over to the edge. They count him down and before he jumps he looked back to check with them if yes that meant jump. It did and just like that off he went.

And really how spectacular does he look? A natural, who in his words will never be again. But those 4-5 seconds that you are freefalling, where there is no sound and its as if you’re the only one in the world, that’s something he could not comprehend, something he would maybe experience again one day….

After the 3^rd bounce the rope then loosens its bounce and the winch kicks in to bring you back up. They do offer you the possibility to actually sit during this process, instructing you to pull a small clip near your feet which will release them and swing you back up into a sitting position. Well Alex was not so keen on pulling this cord, even though it was possible and he knew he was secured at the waist. Instead he was hoisted up to the platform like a flailing fish, or as the staff call it ‘a dead fish’, as you can see above. Once they had unhooked his feet they then attached him to the platform instead of the rope and he was free to come around the fence. I pretty much bear hugged him, all the while he was just a little shocked with what he had just done and needed a few minutes to process it all. That’s when my name was called.

I went through the same process as Alex, but when they asked me to smile, or at least fake it, it was still very obvious that I was not liking the whole situation. Don’t get me wrong I had been wanting to jump and conquer this fear as soon as we had decided to travel New Zealand, but ever since getting off that bus, riding the gondola over and then waiting whilst Alex watched, I was adamant that I wouldn’t, nor did I want to jump. But the staff reassured me that I just needed to get it over with and then I would be happy I’d done it. So I cried through the explanation and the walk up to the edge. It was so difficult to just rely on the guy behind me holding me in place, as there was nothing to secure my arms to. I was in position, told to focus on the mountain in front of me and I then heard them count me down. As soon as he got to three all my nerves dropped away as I threw myself off the ledge.

They all flew back up at me once my eyes followed by body with gravity! But oh my goodness!!! I cannot even begin to describe the feeling I felt, and what I know Alex felt when he jumped off that ledge and waited for the whole process to just happen.

Like I said before its like the world stops and there is just you and the amazing scenery below you, but there is also serious adrenaline and the most frightening but exhilarating rush. Both of us said we completely understood why people do this on a regular basis, that feeling alone is worth it. But the entire process before and afterwards for us cancels that out and assures us that we are content with doing it once and happy to have ticked it off the bucket list!

On the way back up to the platform, I also played the dead fish. It was quite scary to be honest, and even though I knew my feet were not the main tether to the rope, I could feel by boots slipping on my ankles and I could not help but think I was about to fall out and drop before they could winch me back up. I held onto my waist harness so tight and once they had me on the platform I then latched onto the man un-hooking me. The poor guy, I got way to handsy, sorry!

Behind the fence, I dropped to the floor out of so many emotions, but I was crying with happiness and adrenaline.

Did we just do that?!

By this time Alex was well aware of what we’d just done and we were happy to just hug. And then we were all ready to get off that platform and back on land. Bob and Leonne were about to experience some adrenaline of their own!

My emotions were worlds apart heading back to land. I still could not look anywhere other that at someone’s face or up, but we were definitely elated!

Bob and Leonne were already harnessed up as they had come to the bungy platform to watch, so once on land again we walked around to the other side of the building, over a suspended bridge and onto the Nevis Swing platform.

They were strapped in, seating along side one another. Bob grinning like a kid who just eaten a whole bag of sugar, and Leonne closing her eyes, looking just a little terrified.

The guys working on the swing of course get their fun. They are in charge of pulling the release cord that then drops you into the cliff, which then swings you out over the valley. They walk you through looking at the left camera and then the one above your head. But when Bob screamed “JUST DO IT” before he’d finished his spiel, they of course released them. And then the almighty scream emerged. Leonne you legend, your scream was epic! Bob yours was also pretty great, we definitely heard you both that’s for sure!

can you spot them down there?

Bob recorded their entire swing and although I cannot upload it on our blog I will describe a small part of it. As I said you could see Leonne was definitely nervous, and when they dropped her face and scream said it all. But once they swung out and you could see her eyes open, she started laughing and had the biggest smile. Now I know there may have been some ‘why did we do this’ moments during the rest of the swing, but afterwards we could see they had both loved it and were happy to have given it a go!

And then to finish our day of extremes, it was Alex and I’s turn to swing.

We were both still shaking from the jump and somehow I was still nervous to be strapped in even after what I’d done thus far in the day. But once seated and dangling over the edge, we were so excited. They went through the same thing, asking us to look at the camera’s and then at some random moment released us.

By far the easiest adventure of the day. We didn’t have to release ourselves or throw ourselves off, they did it for us and when we ‘least’ expected it. It was epic!

After our swings we sat down and stuffed our faces whilst waiting for the bus. When on the bus we absolutely crashed, but before that occurred we went down the steep hill again. The driver mentioned the scenery and now the jumps/swings had been completed that we could enjoy the view. Both Alex and Bob said, oh he’s right, we didn’t really take that in before, wow! And then there was me who was still petrified and just wanted to kiss dirt, that’s how much I wanted to be on solid ground.

Back in town we grabbed ourselves some takeaway and headed back to our apartment. There we then veged out for the rest of the evening, exhausted from the days activities. So many fears and nerves were conquered during these activities, and so many emotions were experienced. I think I can say on behalf of the four of us, we are so happy we did it, so happy we can cross it off our lists, definitely recommend that it is awesome and gets your heart almost leaping out of your chest the whole time, but that we are also happy to now never do it again. Except the swing, maybe upside down next time Leonne?…..

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