Justin Bieber's awesome Auckland adventure
14 Oct 2010
Canadian teen pop superstar Justin Bieber has named New Zealand as one of the places where he had a pivotal life moment in his new biography, First Step 2 Forever.
The memoir about the 16-year-old, which was released in the US yesterday (13.10.10), talks about Bieber’s famous bungy jump off the iconic Auckland Harbour Bridge in New Zealand.
"I couldn’t believe things were finally coming together. I was almost afraid to believe it. The only thing I can compare it to is when I bungee-jumped off a bridge in New Zealand not long ago.
"It was a long journey to get there, but at the last minute, there I was. Standing there. Ready. I had no idea what it was going to be like, but I knew it was going to be awesome," he wrote.
Pivotal life moment
Shortly after teen idol Justin Bieber touched down in New Zealand in late April this year, he was whisked off to Auckland Harbour Bridge by Tourism New Zealand to experience one of the country’s best-known adventure activities - the bungy jump.
The "Twitter Prince", who now has nearly 6 million followers, was greeted by hundreds of screaming young fans at Auckland Airport. He stayed at a central Auckland hotel before going for his once-in-a-lifetime experience with AJ Hackett Bungy - the global pioneers of the adventure sport.
An excited and adventurous Bieber was so enthusiastic about his first bungy jumping experience that he did the jump twice, the second time backwards.
Bieber tweeted his fans immediately afterwards with: "BUNGY! I love New Zealand!!"
Auckland Harbour Bridge jump
AJ Hackett Bungy created the Auckland Harbour Bridge Bungy in 2003.
Bungy jumpers walk through the bridge, which spans the Waitemata Harbour, to a specially-built bungy pod at the centre of the iconic bridge, before leaping over the water.
Bungy inventor AJ Hackett first dived off the Eiffel Tower 20 years ago. That "leap of faith" launched a pioneering business that would grab the attention of thrill-seekers all over the world
Hackett and his friend Henry van Asch opened the world’s first commercial bungy - a 43m jump over the Kawarau River in the South Island - in 1998. Van Asch now runs the New Zealand arm of the hugely-successful bungy business, while Hackett has extended the business off-shore.
There are 30 different international patents for AJ Hackett Bungy, including jumps in Cairns (Australia), Bali, Normandy (France), Germany, Kuala Lumpur and the world’s highest jump off the Macau Tower (233m).
Background: Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber came to fame in 2007 when he began posting home videos of his cover performances of songs by Usher, Chris Brown, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo on YouTube.
Bieber signed up with Usher’s record label in late 2008. Usher is widely known as the "King of R’n’B" music.
Bieber’s first hit single One Time went platinum in Canada and the US, and gold in Australia and New Zealand.
More information
Tween idol Justin Bieber jumps NZ harbour
Bungy - a Kiwi adventure
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