If you want to confront naked cold fear, ‘The Nevis’ can serve it up by the truckload.
This mother of all bungy jumps is by far the highest in New Zealand, towering 134 metres above the Nevis River. Even hardened jumpers from other sites have been known to be nervous on the Nevis.
The Queenstown Nevis Highwire Bungy is 32 km from Queenstown. Trips leave daily from the Station Building in Shotover Street by 4WD vehicle, passing over a high country sheep station to reach the site. Here, you put a harness on and board the cable car, which is suspended from 380 metre long high-tension cables spanning the whole valley. The jumpers, spectators and crew are ferried to the jump pod. The pod has wall and floor panels of glass, so you have a view of the gorge and the jumpers going before you. The dramatic view down through the floor is heightened by the narrowing of the canyon walls near the water. They are 350 metres apart at the jump pod but only 30 metres at the river level. Wow!
The Nevis high wire system is the only one of its kind in the world. Technically it takes bungy design into a new high-tech fourth generation. A sort of quantum leap forward (as well as downward), with over 30 worldwide patents on the revolutionary new design features.
The recovery system is very efficient. Once you have fully extended the bungy cord and entered the rebound phase you release a ripcord, which unclips your feet and leaves you sitting comfortably upright in the harness, enjoying the view. The crew then winch you back up to the jump pod. You and your friends are then carried back to solid earth on the unique cable-car shuttle.
This is the biggest ground rush you can get in New Zealand. It’s the ultimate challenge in a diabolical drop zone. Come on down and try it.
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