Bungy Lake Taupo

Bungy Jumping - What is it for you?

Aaaaaaaah Bungy Jumping – that crazy phenomenon whereby people leap from a perfectly good platform, bridge or ledge with essentially nothing but a rubber band tied around their ankles. But why do so many choose to do it?

For some it’s for their personal bucket list – an ambition worth achieving before they die.  Along with swim with dolphins, skydive, scuba or ride a gondola, bungy jump is a popular activity on many ‘things to do before I expire’ lists.

The list gives people a focus. Instead of plodding through life unchallenged, it offers an opportunity to dream, and, with any luck, turn those dreams into reality. What people want to see, do, learn, taste, achieve or experience in their life, may take them to the other side of the world or it may just enable them to stay on the couch and keep dreaming.

But for those that do get off the couch and leap from that bridge, platform or ledge, and tick that bungy jump off their bucket list, there is a real sense of accomplishment, something they are proud of, whether they enjoyed the actual experience or not – they did it.

For travellers to New Zealand, bungy jumping becomes a ‘When in Rome’ behavioural adaption. That’s not to say Kiwi’s spend all day bungy jumping, it’s more about what is unique to the country.

More often than not when travelling to a foreign country, you research the country and decide what you ‘must-do’ there to get the most out of your trip. As with the bucket list, what to see, learn, taste or experience, becomes an integral part of the planning process.

Every single country in the world has a different culture, tradition, food, and way of life, than the next. New Zealand is where bungy jumping originated, so if you are going to do one, it should be in NZ, right?

For others, there may be many reasons why they experience bungy jumping. It may be simply come down to good old-fashioned peer pressure! A friend, family member, partner or colleague, might think it’s hysterical to purchase a voucher for you, and consequently, apply the pressure.

The humiliation received for days, months or even years, as a result of ‘chickening out’ of the bungy jump, will absolutely see many buckle under the pressure. Those having a stag or hen’s do – watch out! You may not have the good fortune of getting a voucher, you may be hog-tied and shipped into a bungy site, and essentially have no choice about it!

But for countless bungy jumping enthusiasts, they do it because they love the thrill induced from adrenalin. The thought of leaping from a great height, towards water, earth or concrete, enlivens them. They want to do it, because it’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s crazy and perhaps that’s how they see themselves.

So it seems, bungy jumping in New Zealand is one of those ‘must-do’ activities to tick off your bucket list, to try something uniquely New Zealand, to prove to non-believers that you could, or to simply enjoy the moment and have fun. Whatever the reason, take the plunge!