In global terms, western society has been overlooking New Zealand somewhat. Its international profile maybe hindered to some extent by its geographical position. Firstly its out of the political and cultural melting pot of Europe and America, who steal all the headlines and create the biggest waves. Secondly its situated next to Australia.
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A country that is as brash as it is laid back. If the world was a party, Australia would be the loud mouth, know it all, that really doesnt know it all. New Zealand on the other hand would be the strong silent type who enjoys himself, without the need to brag about it. This is exactly what I found in New Zealand. A jewel in the antipodean crown.
A land where every long distance car journey is filled with audible gasps of delight at the natural beauty that seems to appear around every bend in the road and where 'nice to meet you' and 'have a nice day' actually means something. On top of this of course are the endless opportunities for travellers to raise their pulses by enjoying (if that is the right word) the thrill of risking their necks! I am of course talking about extreme sports.
Something that New Zealand has in abundance. There is no better illustration of the NZ dichotomy of natural beauty and adrenaline pumping action than that of Queenstown. Home to breathtakingly rugged peaks of the Remarkables and the worlds 2nd highest commercial bungy, The Nevis.
Nothing can quite prepare you for plumetting 134 metres from a ledge, attached to a glorified rubber band. AJ Hackett, the worlds first bungy jumper and New Zealand native has made falling and bouncing a sport. When I arrived in New Zealand I knew I had to try it. Whether to fuel my masculine ego or to prove to myself that I had nerves of steel I turned up at 'the Station', AJ Hackett's Queenstown base.
To prevent my body from connecting with the ground after a leap off the ledge, they had to weigh me (for those who are a little self conscious, having your weight in kilos written in blue marker on your hand may not appeal to you though it does save your life). The busride to the Nevis was a particularly quiet affair. All of those aboard, if they were like me, must have been thinking of nothing but the jump. The terrain got rough and rocky as the bus bumped up a steady slope.
The road got higher and higher and as we turned the final bend she appeared before us. The platform is suspended between the sides of 2 mountains. The jumping platform is reached by a small gondola that runs between the base and the platform. I was secured tightly in my harness with little regard for my manhood and then shipped slowly across in the gondola. Although I was pretty terrified to be honest I should point out that I have no fear of heights. The fear comes from something else. The unknown perhaps?
As we made our way across, the height factor became all too obvious. The drop is suspended over a river which at that height looked more like a small stream making its merry way through the mountainside. There were several jumpers before me as the order is dictated by who has the largest number scrawlled on their right hand. Watching from the deck, one after another, nervous jumpers leaped from the legde into the abyss, their screams fading as they fell. When it was my turn, I edged my way to the ledge (playfully nicknamed 'The Meat Tray') after having my legs harnessed to the enormous length of bungy cord that swung beneath the platform.
I looked straight ahead at the side of a neighbouring mountain as I inched towards the edge. My toes were peeking just over the side as I stood for a moment. Then a second later I was falling. I had leapt like a salmon, arms outstreached by my side. The wind rushed past my ears and for felt like forever, i fell. Then as the bungy rope took up the slack I slowed down and then bounced back up. This began a somewhat undignified sequence of bouncing around at the end of the rope, dangling the wrong way up and then being reeled inlike a fish on a line by a winch.
Although I was supended 124m above the ground and the blood was rushing to my head, I felt so good. The buzz that swelled inside me lasted for the rest of the day and I had the feeling that I had actually acheived something. To those who may say that leaping from a great height just for the sheer hell of it isn't much of an acheivement, try telling that to someone who's done it.
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