Many of us, at some point, wanted to experience the adrenaline rush of a bungee jump. But when did jumping from such a height with a rubber cord attached to the feet come to be? On the Pentecost island, South Pacific, during the 2nd world War, Europeans saw a bunch of natives doing this sport for the first time. It became a celebratory custom of the village.
It was practiced and evolved and years later became an official sport. Bungee jumping is almost safe but has safety concerns. You cannot bungee jump if you are not medically fit for it. There are a few criteria before you decide to chase that adrenaline rush.
So, here are 8 of the world’s oldest bungee jumping spots.
8. Nevis Highwire Platform, New Zealand
Opened: 2005
Height: 134 meters (3rd highest global jump)
Location: Queenstown, New Zealand
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Nevis Bungee is situated on a tiny platform isolated 134 meters across a gorge carved out by the Nevis River. This is the third-highest bungee in the world. Known for the mental unease it creates through its remote open-air platform. The AAA guides about conquering fears place Nevis as one of the few ‘extreme’ bucket list adventures.
The Nevis Highwire Platform makes the jumpers sign liability waivers confirming its high stakes. This site is on heavily forested paths that 19th-century explorers took. While risky, the Nevis crew actually promotes community and calmness through pre-jump encouragement.
Did you know?
Various adventurers have affirmed the Nevis as a life-affirming personal growth experience rather than just a base carnival entertainment.
7. Macau Tower, China
Opened: 2001
Height: Held 764-foot world record for years
Location: Macau, China
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Macau Tower holds the Guinness World Record for the highest commercial bungee jump at 764 feet since its opening in 2001. This tower centralizes various extreme sports, including skywalks, base jumping, bungee, etc. This site offers night jumps to increase the fear factor. You’ll see city lights hundreds of feet below during the night jumps.
Macau is already flooded with tourists for its vibrant gaming resort scene. There is an urban legend that goes around here saying that a bunch of Chinese high rollers addicted to risk in Macau’s casinos have impulsively gambled their entire winnings/losses on nighttime Tower bungee bets to up financial stakes. True or not, this place is the land of risks all around.
Did you know?
Macau is actually known to be the most densely populated area on Earth. In just 30.5 sq. km, about 648,500 people reside, which is a lot!
6. Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa
Opened: 1997
Height: 709 feet (216 meters) – world’s highest bridge bungee
Location: South Africa
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Bloukrans Bridge Bungee in South Africa is one of the highest bridge bungees in the world at 709 feet height. The term ‘Bloukrans’ translates to ‘blue cliff’ representing its heights. A small company called Face Adrenaline operates this bungee. A total of 1 million jumps is estimated here since its opening in 1997. The Bloukrans Bridge bungee is also a flagship attraction in South Africa’s adventure tourism.
The Bloukran region lies alongside the Garden Route corridor, which is the best for multi-activity holidays, including wildlife, wine tasting, and extreme sports. This bungee location’s article racks are flooded with postcards from many anxious jumpers sharing their experience.
Did you know?
They have a clientele from over 70 countries within 3 decades of starting operations.
5. Pipeline Bungee, Whistler, Canada
Opened: 1994
Height: 50 meters
Location: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Photo Source: Squarespace
The Pipeline Bungee in Canada is comparatively smaller in size. It is only 50 meters high and is known as the coldest year-round bungee site on the planet. It is the north of Vancouver, and the very cold alpine conditions mean that the jumpers jump into ice batch-like scenarios. Even in such a condition, it stays open 365 days of the year.
Guess what? Jumpers also receive a certificate saying that they faced the freezing glacial drops. This place is also extremely isolated. The Pipeline Bungee actually launched in 1994 as part of adventure race triathlon obstacles.
Did you know?
The pipeline bungee is situated in the middle of basalt column cliffs and old-growth forest.
4. Verzasca Dam, Switzerland
Opened: 1993
Height: 220 meters
Location: Switzerland
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The bungee at the Verzasca Dam is 220 meters tall up the concrete wall on the edge of Vogorno Lake in Switzerland. This is not just a straight jump. The structure of the Dam allows many risky, long seconds of descent alongside the dam infrastructure before rebounding. This bungee site is famous for being in the opening scene of the James Bond film Goldeneye.
At Verzasca Dam, the bungee is not on a portable crane system but a fixed structure. Because of the sudden recognition of the movie, people come here to have their James Bond moments. The bungee here started a trend across other countries of utilizing massive post-industrial infrastructure for high adrenaline-raising stunts rather than just bridges and hot air balloons.
Did you know?
The Verzasca Dam operates all year round and has good weatherproofing. It is also close in distance to the Lugano hub.
3. Colorado River Bridge, Glen Canyon, USA
Opened: 1992
Height: 112 meters
Location: Glen Canyon, Arizona/Utah, USA
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Located in the rustic desert canyonlands of Arizona and Utah, the Colorado River suspension bridge site is the best when it comes to remote American bungee jumping experience. This bungee is on the Gen Canyon bridge, which is 366 feet above the Colorado River. This is basically an extreme adventure that not many people choose to take part in.
Unlike other sites, the operators lead the groups into the canyon by boat to rig them up before the jump. It is a beautiful boat ride in itself and helps to understand the landscape. This bungee scene actually was one of the oldest bungee in the USA. This is a site best accessed in small groups, and the solitude factor is half its appeal. Hence, this site is not as widely visited as the once in busy cities. The consistency of the bungee jumping in Clen Canyon actually opened up the fame of spots like Page, Arizona, etc. Many US-based bungee jumping companies actually came up after this.
Did you know?
The consistency of the bungee jumping in Glen Canyon actually made the nearby spots also popular, like Page, Arizona, etc. Many US-based bungee jumping companies came up after this.
2. Victoria Falls Bridge, Zambia/Zimbabwe Border
Opened: 1990
Height: 111 meters
Location: Zambia/Zimbabwe Border
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Every year, over 1 million people visit the Victoria Falls in Africa. This is the largest waterfall in the world. The Victoria Falls bridge has a 111-meter bungee towards the Zambezi River. Being a very famous tourist attraction already, the bungee element helped promote tourism further in this remote town.
Over 70,000 people have now jumped off the Victoria Falls bridge on the bungee. This site has been constantly busy for decades now. The operators conduct special 111-meter tandem and backward bungee jumps, which are not as widely offered globally. They have night jumps under a blanket of stars also available.
Did you know?
Height is not the only reason why the Victoria Falls Bridge is popular for bungee. The backdrop of Victoria Falls water spray, and the Zambezi lend is the actual reason for this. Great photos, doing great things with a great backdrop.
1. Kawarau Bridge Bungy, Queenstown, New Zealand
Opened: November 1988
Height: 43 meters
Location: Queenstown, New Zealand
Photo Source: Myqueenstowndiary
Simply, the world’s oldest bungee, commercially speaking. The Kawarau Bridge is the first location for commercial bungee jumping in the world. AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch launched this bungee jumping spot in 1988 off the 43-meter bridge across the Kawarau River gorge.
The site is still hosting bungee jumping activities even 30 years later. This site still has friendly staff and flexible booking, making it a must-try for visitors to the Queenstown area. This location is known as the “Home of Bungy” as it is the first location where the pilgrims of risk-taking come to jump off and still stay alive.
Did you know?
Today, AJ Hackett operates many bungees and swing sites across New Zealand and Australia apart from the bridge, including the Ledge, Nevis, Auckland, etc.
Conclusion
Even though bungee jumping is considered an extreme sport, the fatality rate is 1 in 500,000. This means that a person has more chances of being struck by lightning. So, while it has its risks, it is comparatively safe. Choose to do it in an establishment with a proven track record.
If you are physically fit, engaging in such extreme sports and testing the limits of your human body and mind will help you grow. Bungee jumping has been around for a while but commercially started only a few decades ago. It has gained the attention of thrill seekers so fast that it is a bucket list item for many today. These world’s oldest bungee sites have paved the path for many today.
While being an adrenaline rush adventure, it also has a taste of history.
