As you might suspect, it wasn’t the Brits who invented bungee jumping as a leisure activity, but those crazy adrenaline-mad Kiwis. A certain A J Hackett credits himself with commercialising bungee jumping in 1986 and although it’s generally agreed the first commercial jump was set up on the Kuwerau Suspension Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand, it wasn’t the very first.
That credit goes to us crazy Brits! Back in 1979, on the 1st April to be precise, a group of daredevils from the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club bungeed from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, 250ft above the Avon Gorge. After the jumps they were all arrested!
Now no longer illegal, the holy grail of all bungees in New Zealand is still operating, with thousands of jumpers coming from all over the world throw themselves off the Kuwerau bridge. There is even a website that organises hostels for bungee jumpers, to this and other key bungee sites around the world, so your accommodation is all sorted for you. How about heading to Locarno in Switzerland to do the ‘007’ jump that was featured at the start of Goldeneye? Or perhaps you’d like to try out the world’s highest indoor jump in a shopping centre in Canada?
If you want to try a jump closer to home, there are loads of websites offering vouchers. Bungees from Wish are reasonably priced and the voucher is valid for 10 months. There are several venues around the UK as well, so there should be somewhere near you. Of course, no previous experience at throwing yourself off bridges and cranes is necessary, but it helps if you’re a bid mad, we think.
However, we think the best range of bungee jumping with a bungee voucher is from Intotheblue.co.uk. This online retailer specialises in gift ideas for adrenaline fiends and has an excellent range of bungee jump gifts, including the chance to jump right next to the 02 arena. Vouchers from this activity gift company are valid for a full 12 months, which is the best deal we’ve found on the internet.
Should money not be a problem, why not opt for arranging the bungee crane hire yourself? All you need is a few thousand pounds and a 30m x 30m space that you can conveniently fit the crane into and you’ve got yourself one mega cool private bungee party! Of course, if you’re organising a big promo event and have a healthy budget, this could actually be a viable option, as all the gear you need to jump is included, along with the jump master and staff!