Day 4: 18 November 2007, Sunday – Rotorua / Lake Taupo
The fourth day of the trip was a very good one, definitely one of the most memorable days of my life. The reason being, it was the day I literally took a leap of faith and did a bungy jump for the first time ever.
Before going on the trip, I had already planned to do a bungy jump, as it was one of those things that was on my bucket list. Being young and fearless at the time, I didn’t think twice about it. Best of all, my cousins JJ and YS were equally game for it.
We found an operator called Taupo Bungy (click here), New Zealand’s highest cliff-top bungy jump, plunging 47 metres into the Waikato River. The scenery there was breathtaking as the water below was a stunning emerald green. After making payment and signing an indemnity form, it was time to take the plunge. Being the oldest among the three of us, I decided I should lead the way so I volunteered to go first.
So what does bungy jumping feel like? The scariest thing about bungy jumping is actually not the jump itself, but rather, the moments when you’re standing at the edge of the platform before the jump. That’s when you wage a battle in your head whether to do it or not. Despite what I’ve said about being fearless and not thinking twice about it, the reality is that it is only natural to feel scared when your ankles are strapped and you’re looking down at the great depths in front of you.
It is against every human instinct for self-preservation to leave behind the safety of the platform and throw yourself into the air, into nothingness. Yet despite knowing full well that the ankle harness and bungy cord will save you from dying a horrible death, the urge to turn around and walk away (or rather, hop away) is very real. I must confess that the thought of pulling out did cross my mind when I was there. However, as I was the first to go, I wouldn’t be setting a very good example to JJ and YS if I were to give up. Hence, I persevered.
As I stood there on the platform with nothing in front of me but air, I took a few seconds to muster up my courage and to compose myself. I tried to assure myself that everything would be fine and I would not die. After taking a few deep breaths, I did it.
In my mind, I envisioned a beautiful jump, diving head first with my arms outstretched. However, it turned out to be way less glamourous and I ended up stepping off the platform with my legs going down first, more like a jetty jump than a classic bungy jump. The moment my feet left the platform, all my fear disappeared and it was replaced by the most thrilling and exhilarating feeling ever. As I descended, I let it all out by shouting at the top of my voice.
In a few split seconds, I reached the bottom of my descent and the bungy cord sprung into action, turning me topsy turvy. As I bounced up and down a few more times, I continued whooping. It wasn’t scary anymore. It was pure joy. Soon, the bouncing stopped and I was slowly lowered to the water’s surface, where a small boat was waiting to pick me up.
The staff on the boat extended a pole towards me and I grabbed it, and he pulled me to safety. I lay on the boat for a while, letting the adrenaline rush subside and get my heart rate back to normal. I then gave a thumbs up to JJ, YS and the rest of the family up on the platform to let them know that everything was ok. The boat took me to the shore nearby and I got my feet on firm ground once again.
I remember at that moment, I felt truly invincible. I had conquered one of the scariest things I could possibly do, and I wanted to do it again. I think most people will agree with me that when you’ve just done a bungy jump, the immediate reaction is to have another go right away. The ecstasy and the confidence you achieve from the jump cannot be compared to anything else in the world.
If I may offer a tip to those who are trying out bungy jumping for the first time, my advice will be: look ahead instead of looking down. When you’re standing at the edge of the platform, focus on a spot far away in the distance. Take a deep breath, stretch your arms out to the sides, lean forward and let gravity take over. If you can, keep your eyes open so that you don’t miss out on the experience. Everything happens in a flash, so it will be over before you know it!
After the three of us completed our jumps, we considered going for another round, but eventually decided against it because we wanted to save our money for other activities (skydiving and white water rafting). It cost over a hundred dollars per jump so it was quite expensive, but it was totally worth it.
After that, we visited the nearby Huka Falls, where Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a canyon only 15 metres across. It was incredible to see the force of the gushing water up close.
Following that, we visited the amazing Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland. Compared to Te Puia yesterday, Wai-O-Tapu was much larger and much more value for money. There was a greater variety of landscapes and bubbling pools here.
We capped off the day with a wonderful barbecue prepared by Uncle S. As we lounged in our comfortable rented house by Lake Taupo, we feasted on the food and wine while chatting and laughing deep into the night. It had been an incredible day indeed.
Since there are so many beautiful pictures from Day 4, this shall be a post in itself. Enjoy the pics!
