Completed: Bungee jump

Task number: 26.

Bungee jump.

Date: 17^th September 2011.

Location: Auckland harbour bridge, Auckland, New Zealand.

Attendees: It should’ve been my girlfriend, but a heavy night before meant that she was too hung over!

I did this during our 3 week holiday of New Zealand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. I booked it before we left in a moment of madness, knowing that if I’d left it until we got there, I would’ve chickened out!

There was a group of us that went up to the bridge. Ireland were playing Australia, in Auckland that night, so there was a large Irish contingent. We had a long walk to the jump point. We had to get to a small pod located about half way along. I knew roughly where it was, as we’d sailed past it a few days before, during a fishing trip, but with the adrenaline pumping through my veins, it felt a lot longer.

When the group got up to the pod, we were given a small safety briefing & it was on to the first person. They have to adjust your bungee line according to weight, heaviest to lightest, so I was about half way down the order.  I watched some pretty burly guys desperately trying to hide the fear by laughing & joking. Then screaming for their lives as they went over the edge.

They put you in a chair at first to strap you up. You feel like you’re on death row, as your feet are tied together & you watch the person front of you launch themselves. Then it was my turn. I had to shuffle on to a plank, where they would hook the bungee cord on & I would do my photos before the jump. I remember those fatal words “3,2,1, BUNGEE!” & I went.

It was a lot easier than I thought & I think it’s mind over matter, but it still get the adrenaline pumping.  The guy kitting you up holds on you as you shuffle your way out so that you don’t fall off & I’m sure he gave me a little nudge to help me on my way. Different people, with different weights mean that in order to get the full experience of dipping your head in the water at the bottom, they have to adjust the bungee cord person by person. The guy before me got his head & shoulders dipped in, so they reeled the cord in for my go. I missed the water by 1 inch, but it didn’t matter. I’d done it!