| Would you like to book an Air Safari? We fly | | | | taking visitors on breath-taking rides |
| over Aoraki Mount Cook and the Fox Glacier - | | | | through the spectacular canyons of Shotover |
| it's a wonderful view. Oh you would rather | | | | River for $75 a pop.Then, in 1988, AJ Hackett |
| jump out? How about the skydive option from | | | | and Henry Van Asch (two speed skiers who had |
| 15,000 ft? Too straight-forward? How about | | | | been inspired by a video documenting the |
| paragliding, or hand-gliding, jet boating or | | | | attempts of members of the Oxford University |
| whitewater rafting? Or take a aerial ride in | | | | Dangerous Sports Club to copy Vanuatu |
| a stunt plane, jump off a bridge on a bungy | | | | villagers' ritual of jumping off man-made |
| rope or try the Shotover Canyon Swing?".I am | | | | towers attached to vines) arrived in |
| speaking to Diane, a helpful counter rep at | | | | Queenstown having spent two years at the |
| 'The Terminal': A one-stop shop for all your | | | | University of Auckland developing a special |
| adrenaline needs nestled in quiet Queenstown. | | | | bungy cord to bungy jump from. Until then, |
| In case you were wondering, the Canyon Swing | | | | the only other alternative were the vines |
| is 'the world's highest swing' - launching | | | | that the Vanuatu locals used - not too |
| you from a cliff face into a 200 meter arc, | | | | reliable.In June the previous year, AJ |
| accelerating you to 150kph, and then back | | | | Hackett had used the cord they had developed |
| again. This is one of the more recent | | | | for a high profile (and highly illegal) bungy |
| inventions in Queenstown, where you have the | | | | jump from the Eiffel Tower. Now they were |
| option of being launched in one of ten | | | | ready to go commercial, with a plan to offer |
| different methods, from "The Cutaway", "Elvis | | | | jumps from Kawarau Bridge. Despite obvious |
| Cutaway" and "Indian Rope Trick" to "Gimp Boy | | | | skepticism from locals that people would be |
| Goes to Hollywood", and where each method is | | | | willing to pay to jump from a bridge, |
| rated from "Scary" (One underpants rating) to | | | | business boomed. Within a year, a second site |
| "Very, very, very scary" (Five underpants | | | | was launched at Skippers Bridge and since |
| rating).After much deliberation I decide to | | | | then further sites - each one bigger and |
| opt for Asia Pacific's highest bungy jump, | | | | better - have continually launched with an |
| the 440 feet high Nevis Highwire Bungy. | | | | estimated 350,000 jumpers in Queenstown to |
| Unlike the original 140 feet Kawarau Bridge | | | | date. With each new option, business |
| bungy over Kawarau river, or the 335 feet | | | | increased. When the Nevis bungy launched in |
| Pipeline bungy over Shotover river, the Nevis | | | | 1999, demand was so high, the company made |
| Bungy isn't attached to a bridge. Instead, AJ | | | | back its investment of $2M within ten |
| Hackett Bungy invested NZ$2 million in a | | | | months.Adventure tourism took off in |
| tailor-made, purpose built, fully protected | | | | Queenstown in the 1990s, and year after year |
| "Jump Pod", dangling by high-tension wires | | | | the adventure options have grown, with |
| over the Nevis Gorge (and when I say 'fully | | | | visitor numbers reaching 4.8 million by 2001 |
| protected', I don't mean you, I mean the pod | | | | (compared to a resident population of |
| - it has 30 different patents. Presumably so | | | | 12,000), 5.5 million by 2005, and a projected |
| that if you find a gorge as deep as Nevis on | | | | 7 million visitors by 2010.It seems, then, |
| your travels you will think twice before | | | | that I am in good company by choosing to |
| strapping wires to the side and building a | | | | bungy jump! After all, this is what people do |
| similar pod to jump out of, for fear of being | | | | in Queenstown, right? I hear that up to 100 |
| sued in the event you survive the fall).I'm | | | | people each day jump from the Nevis Highwire |
| here on the invitation of a great group of | | | | Bungy. A quick calculation reveals that, with |
| New Zealand Entrepreneurs who have taken time | | | | off-days, that's maybe 20,000 out of the five |
| out from their schedule to show me a piece of | | | | million Queenstown visitors each year. Only |
| New Zealand. Greame Fowler is a well-known | | | | four people in every thousand decide to try |
| property investor, and author of the | | | | it? What about the other nine hundred and |
| best-selling book "NZ Real Estate Investor's | | | | ninety-six of them? Before leaving the |
| Secrets", Kevin Heppleston is an | | | | Terminal with my ticket and T-Shirt, I look |
| award-winning business coach with Action | | | | for reassurance from the others in the group. |
| International, based in Wellington, Gill | | | | I ask them what it's like to bungy jump. None |
| Daldin and Lisa McCarthy are both franchise | | | | of them have bungy-jumped before. None of |
| owners of an Australian appliance rental | | | | them want to. Ever.The humiliating |
| business, Mr Rentals. All are making the most | | | | possibility of being the laughing stock of |
| of the fact that, as well as having the | | | | the Jump Pod suddenly becomes a worse fate |
| highest percent of entrepreneurs of any | | | | than ending up spread all over the canyon |
| country in Asia Pacific, New Zealand also has | | | | floor I ask for the release instructions |
| some of the most stunning spots to take a | | | | again and would have written them down if I |
| break from all that entrepreneurial | | | | could. But before I know it I am on my feet, |
| activity.Queenstown, nestled on the Southern | | | | hearing the countdown, seeing myself jumping, |
| tip of New Zealand's South Island, promotes | | | | remembering to scream on the way down as per |
| itself as "The World's Adventure Capital". | | | | my brother's instructions ("It makes the |
| How did it find this niche? The town grew out | | | | video more dramatic"), watching the river |
| of the gold rush at Shotover River in the | | | | accelerate towards me and then reverse back |
| 1860's. Surrounded by awe-inspiring mountain, | | | | just as dramatically, and then triumphantly |
| it became a summer tourist spot after the | | | | releasing myself from the bungy |
| gold was exhausted. It took a century before | | | | shackles.Lisa's husband, Austin, decides to |
| anyone was attracted to Queenstown in the | | | | jump with me and we hop on the bus. Leaving |
| winters, when the Mount Cook Group turned | | | | the sedate streets of Queenstown, we trekked |
| Coronet Peak into a ski field in the 1960's, | | | | for an hour over sheep country before |
| turning the area into a year-round | | | | reaching the 'cable car' that would take us |
| destination which in turn attracted more | | | | out to the jump pod. The cable car is |
| hotels, shops and restaurants.Bill Hamilton, | | | | actually an open metal box with a grill |
| a South Island country farmer, can be | | | | floor, which can squeeze in six people at |
| credited for introducing adventure tourism in | | | | most. The long, wobbly journey out to the |
| the 1970's. Here's one version of how the | | | | Jump Pod gives us time to reconsider - two of |
| story goes: While trying to invent a high | | | | the earlier jumpers had already pulled out. I |
| powered water pump to drain water from his | | | | consider whether I am being brave or stupid |
| land, he created a turbine pump so powerful | | | | or both. I decide both and it makes me feel a |
| that when he turned it on: instead of water | | | | little better.Austin goes first. He looks |
| shooting through, the pump dislodged and end | | | | nervous, which makes me more nervous. It is a |
| up shooting across the water. After a little | | | | very long way down - a little like jumping |
| lateral thinking, he forgot about the pump | | | | off a 60 storey building. After being given |
| idea and built a speed boat around the | | | | instructions by the crew, Austin hobbles out |
| turbine instead. The Jet Boat was born. | | | | to the end of the 'gangplank', 500 feet above |
| Needing less than 3cm of water to maneuver in | | | | rock level, and the countdown begins: |
| at high speeds, before long Shotover Jet was | | | | "5..4..3..2.. |