New Zealand advenures climax with a bungy!!

The last couple of days in New Zealand were spent enjoying some luxurious accommodation, well luxurious in comparison to the grotty joints we'd stayed in, we even had a washing machine and a tumble dryer in our apartment so made good use of it and saved our poor hands from the harsh hand washing soap we'd grown accustomed to.

The first evening was a trip to the week overdue showing of the Inbetweeners at the cinema that we'd missed the previous Wednesday, and it was a couple of hours reprieve whilst we were there, and a bit of light relief from the growing dread and fear of what was to come approximately 12 hours later.  I had been dreading this day for two weeks, since we had decided that we would do the bungy jump from Auckland Harbour Bridge.  

When I was last in New Zealand  five years ago, I was on a ferry heading to Devenport, and as we passed under the bridge someone did a bungy off it, and I said that if I was to return to New Zealand, I would do a bungy there.  So, I had returned, and I had to stick to my word.  We were booked in for the next morning along with Serfine, Aoife's friend from Dublin who had recently emigrated to Auckland not long before with her husband Dan and their little daughter Robyn.

I woke up in the morning feeling slightly nauseous, and just didn't know if I had the guts to do it, I honestly did not know if I would be able to throw myself off a perfectly good bridge. 

We arrived at the Bungy offices just by the bridge, and got kitted out for the jump, and ready to climb the bridge.  All of a sudden a bus load of people arrived who were to be our spectators, so now the pressure was really on!  The group were on a taster tour with a company, and were to do some of the bridge climb and watch us jump. 

Getting ready for the bungy jump

Starting to sweat!

Before we knew it we were off, single file along the bridge, hooked on for safety.  It took about ten minutes of gentle climbing before reaching the middle of the bridge where we then climbed two long stair cases to take us to the top of the bridge, and into the 'pod'.  My knees started knocking at this point, but pounding music and the eyes of the spectators kept me focused and as I was to go first, in no time at all I was sitting in the hot-seat getting my feet tied and being given advise of how to pull the cord to flip myself upright before being winched back up to the pod after the jump.

Next, it was a hop off the seat and a shuffle to the edge, and a quick look down to see the water below.  Far below. God only knows why I did that.  The weight got put over the edge which gives a pulling sensation, so I grabbed onto the guy next to me as I was feeling that I was being pulled over!  Then it was arms up like an Olympic diver, and on the commands of one, two, three, I flung myself off with no hesitation.  The dawning realisation hits about 0.5 seconds after you've left the platform and you know there's no going back, only down, and then down you go until BOUNCE! On the third bounce I released the cord strapping my feet to allow myself to turn upright and be winched back up to the pod under the bridge and enjoy the view of Auckland and the ships below.  I felt so happy that I had actually done it, as I really wasn't sure if I could!  I then had the pleasure of watching Aoife do hers, then a lady we didn't know, and then Serafine went last.  She had done one before, so decided this time she would jump backwards and even went for the dunking in the water, so we watched as she did hers, and came back up drenched!

Yay, I did it!

Been there, done that, got the T shirt

We celebrated with fish and chips from the fish market, and during the afternoon felt the adrenalin slowly leave our bodies.  We went out for one last meal, and it could only be our favourite food court, where we all chose our
favourite dish from our country of choice, mine was an Indian curry, washed down with a bargain priced glass of red wine.

Final supper at the food court

The last day we went to have a look at the sky tower, and stupidly I said that if I come back to New Zealand I am going to do the jump from the tower.  You heard it here first. 

Auckland Sky Tower

Jumping off the top!

So a great few weeks was had in New Zealand, revisiting some fabulous places and also discovering new ones.  Aoife and I certainly had some adventures, and all too soon it was time to say goodbye and jump on the shuttle bus to the airport, and be alone for the first time in seven months.  I was off to Sydney.  On another Jet Star flight.  God help me.