Kawarau Bridge: The first bungee jumping site in New Zealand
Podcast |
Witness History
Publisher |
BBC
Media Type |
audio
Podknife tags |
History
Society & Culture
Categories Via RSS |
History
Publication Date |
Jun 21, 2024
Episode Duration |
00:09:16

On 12 November 1988, the world’s first commercial bungee jumping site was opened near Queenstown, New Zealand.

AJ Hackett and Henry Van Asch started out bungee jumping as a hobby with friends. They developed the bungee ropes and rigging system and found the perfect site – the historic Kawarau Suspension Bridge – which would give paying customers the chance to safely fall 43 metres.

It helped make Queenstown become the adventure tourism capital of the world. Josephine McDermott jumped from the bridge herself 20 years ago and finds out from AJ Hackett how it all came about.

(Photo: A jump from Kawarau Bridge. Credit: Getty Images)

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