BIKINI BUNGY – QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand
By: Bec Mangan Instagram: Bikini_Adventures
This post originally appeared on bikiniadventures.com.au
Bungy Jumping was always something that I had wanted to do. Traveling to Queenstown in New Zealand, the adventure capital of the world, prompted me to think about this adventure seriously. So, I mustered up the courage to sign up to AJ Hackett Bungy experience. Then, I decided to go one step further and jump in my bikini. I always loved the scene in Pocahontas where she swan dives off the waterfall and lands gracefully in the river below. Well, that was my inspiration. The turquoise waters of the Kawarau river were too inviting to suppress my childhood dream.
The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge runs over the Kawarau River in the Otago Region in the South Island of New Zealand, about 20mins from Queenstown. At 43m, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy was the world’s first Bungy Jump, making this spot the birthplace of the adventurous spirit, that has shaped Queenstown’s character.
A range of emotions overtake your body before, during and after you take that leap. Everyone is different. I was actually rather excited for my jump. It helped that I watched many other people jump before me. I observed good technique and not so good technique so I had a rough idea on what to do! I was a little nervous about my bikini attire, but I learnt that some people had jumped in their birthday suits which was a little more outrageous! They say to wear whatever you feel comfortable in. My advice would be not to wear a skirt and if you want to take a dip, a bikini is not a bad idea!
Walking the “plank”, so to say, was when I really got nervous. You start to doubt whether all the safety equipment is fastened and secure. The horror stories and the dangers involved in the sport start to repeat in your mind. You just doubt the entire mechanic. The longer you stand there, the longer you think those thoughts and the doubt grows. So just jump! The leap was the best part, followed by the free fall. They say if you dive out, it’s more enjoyable and more safe. It’s when you just fall or jump feet first that you’ll flop around like a rag doll. So avoid that. Take the leap! Whilst you’re free falling, you’re literally flying. It’s a feeling of liberation and content. And if you’ve truly overcome your feeling of fear, a state of calmness resides. You’ve moved from doubting to trusting that everything is fastened and secure.
And then you’re wet. The river consumes you and spits you back out as you bounce back into the air and towards the bridge. You burst out laughing with joy that you actually completed a bungy jump, and nothing went wrong. Everything went according to plan.
A must in Queenstown, New Zealand. Totally recommend.
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