BUNGY!!!!!

I know what you're all thinking...did he or didn't he?? Find out later in the journal.

Up about 9:00, showered, breakfast, walked downtown for a bit and took a few pics, then booked Fly By Wire (http://www.flybywire.co.nz/) for tomorrow ($145) at noon.

Walked back to hostel, had some lunch, then walked down to the AJ Hackett (http://www.ajhackett.com/) office, and checked in. They weighed me (62 kgs) and wrote "NJ3" on my right hand (Nevis Jumper, Group 3). A couple of spectators had NS3 on their hand. Then waited for the bus. There's a lot of jumper, about 14 or 15, then a couple of spectators.

Bus picked us up, and we left at 12:30. It was about a 45 minute bus ride to the gorge and jump site. It sure looks high! Yikes!!! Here's what I saw when I got off the bus: There is a building here, it's the reception area, they have TV's showing jumpers jumping, toilets, various things for sale, and a payment counter. Walking through the building, you come to the valley. There's a viewing platform sticking out over the edge of the cliff. There is a series of cables strung across the big, steep valley, more than 130 metres above the valley floor. IN the valley is a small river. The jump platform and staging area is suspended in the middle of the cables, above the valley floor. The staging area is quite large capable of holding all of us jumpers and spectators and the bungy staff. A small cable car, holding six passengers at a time, whisks everyone out to the platform.

So, at the building, we get suited up in our waist harnesses, and we get taken through the building, and onto the viewing platform, all but six of the fattest. They are immediately wisked away to the jumping area, while the rest of us are giving two pieces of instruction. One: jump AWAY from the viewing platform. Two: at the top of your second or third rebound, pull a release cord, which will release the ankle bungy, and turn you upright, so you'll be sitting like you were on a swing for the ride back up to the viewing platform. He tells us number one is important (bungy rope burns can be painful), but number two is not. If you wish to be winched back up upside down, don't pull it, it's not a big deal.

As more and more "groups of six" are wisked away to the jumping platform, the first of the jumpers are already going. We got some great views from the viewing platform. I was on the last car to go out the platform.

So, we got to the platform, and everyone's all excited and scared. People being brought back up from just jumping have really wide eyes, and big grins on their face, exclaiming how amazing it was. I not experiences any anxiousness or nervousness or fright at all. I feel nothing! I knew that wouldn't last, though.

I waited, and I was maybe 10th in line, my name was called, I sat down, and buddy attached the ankle thingies to my ankles. Then I waited some more. AFter a few more minutes, I was "on deck", and got ushered to a chair right beside the "diving platform". This area is restricted to only the current jumper, the two employees, and the guy being winched back up. Another guy explains that there will be a release strap between my legs, I can pull it at the top of my second or third rebound. The third employee, the one that's unstrapping the "just done it" jumpers, slides the bungy cord over to the my guy, and he attaches it to my ankle supports, and he shows me the release strap, and stuffs it between my knees, so I know where it is. He then tells me to wave at the camera above me, then I was up, and waddling to the platform. Then it hit me! Total FRIGHT!!! At this point, "What the HELL am I doing?" goes through my mind, numerous times, as I inch out on the diving board, and I get a true look straight down!!! It's total fright at this point, ladies and gentleman, I admit, I am now VERY anxious!! I glance down, I'm sure I must have been white in the face, he tells me to smile for the camera over head, I glance up, wave at it, then he counts down, 3....2.....1.....JUMP!!! And I JUMP! Like an olympic diver, although, with much less finesse, I jump head first into this great abyss, and I scream..."AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" all the way down. It only takes seconds, then the bungy cord starts to tighten as you race at 130 km/hr at the tiny stream...at absolutely incredible speed. I bounced once, very high back up, then back down, then back up, I looked up between my legs, trying to grasp for the release, I had trouble finding it, but found it, and pulled, and I got flipped right-side up, like I was sitting on a swing, and slowly, I saw the metal winch connector come down the bungy cord and attach to a connector just above me, and slowly I inch back up.

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was easily the most incredible BUZZ and ADRENALINE RUSH I've EVERY experienced in my ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That totally blew me away. I looked my fear right into the eyes, and didn't back away, I jumped, and I tell ya, I was absolutely terrified when I inched my way onto the dive platform. When I heard him say JUMP, I know I hesitated for half a second. Then I pushed that fear away, and I jumped. You cannot imagine, unless you do, the exhileration of diving head first towards the ground at such an incredible speed, seeing the ground race up at you like it did. Words cannot even describe what it's like!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has to be experienced, the whole sensory thing overwhelms you. Unbelieveable!!!

Once back on the jump platform, the Canadian girl (from Edmonton) says to me, "ARe you going to jump again?" Then I remembered, as long as we are on the platform, we can do a second jump for only $70. I had forgot! I asked her if she was going to do it again, and she was seriously thinking about it, but hadn't actually decided yet. Then I said, Ya, I'm gonna jump again!!!! By this time, buddy had taken my ankle things off and put them on another girl, I then tell him I wanna jump again, so he takes them off of her and puts them on me again. So, I'm thinking to myself, I've done it once, there'll be no fear or anxiousness or anything this time, it'll be a breeze, because I know what it's all about and what to expect.

So, I'm sat up in the "on deck" chair almost immediatly, still totally PUMPED and adrenaline rushed from the first jump, and the guy grins at me and makes a remark that it must have been good if I'm doing it again. He attaches the bungy cord to my ankles, and once again, I inch out onto the viewing platform. Unexpectedly, I'm overcome with total anxiety again, and total fear, and as I put my toes over the edge, I said, a little too loud, "What the hell am I doing here?" The worker guys laughs and says something, I forget what, something about enjoying it or something. This was supposed to be easy the second time, no fear or anxiety or nothing! The worker counts down, 3......2......1......JUMP. And I JUMP!!! And again, I yell, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" all the way down. Fear made me yell, I know that now. I wasn't supposed to yell like my life was going to end this time, but I still did. I admit, just like the first time, when he said JUMP, I hesitated for an instance, then pushed that fear away, and jumped. And you know what??? IT WAS JUST AS INCREDIBLE THE SECOND TIME AROUND AS IT WAS THE FIRST TIME AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The total exhilaration and feelings you get from this is unequalled anywhere, doing anything, I'm sure of that. It's a complete and total different experience than jumping from a plane. The ground is racing up at your face at unbelievable speeds, and a mere 10 metres from certain death, the bungy cords takes you and bounces you back up. Words cannot explain the feeling and exhilharation that you get from doing something like this.

AFter I got back up on the platform, the Canadian girl had her ankle straps back on, she was doing it again too! Her boyfriend, what's a wussy! Haha.

Anyway, she did it again, and she totally exclaimed that it was just as good the second time around as the first. Another girl, who had duct-taped her video camera to her arm (good idea!), then went, and she loved it so much, she did a second jump too.

AFter it was all over, we got back to the reception area, I was given my t-shirt and got to view my video on one of the TV's, and given my photo coupon, and paid for the second jump I did. Then we all hopped back on the bus and I got back to the hostel about 3:45, then drove out to the Shotover River, where the river goes through a gorge and took some pics, then on to the Coronet Peak ski area and took some more pics, then back to hostel. No encounters with the law this time.

Had supper, watched TV, then went to see "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" at the theatre at 9:20. Ok movie, kind of far-fetched, but different in a good way. To bed about 11:30.