Bungee jumping...

Every little girl is scared of heights but a couple years spent rough housing with my three brothers quickly vanquished any fears that I had. However, to say that you are fearless when peering up at the only bungee jump in Australia would be a lie. Every single one of my brothers would have been terrified; even more motivation for me. Countless doubts and excuses filled my mind as I began the slow 164 climb up to the bungee platform. I decided not to think about the plunge and instead encouraged my friends to start singing with me. They needed more encouragement then I did. “And I’m free, free falling…” How appropriate; everyone giggled. We finally reached the top of the unsteady stage and all the song lyrics slipped away. This was no concert venue. I peered over the edge of the platform and my heart instantly took off. For a second, I thought it had left my body and already taken the plunge back to solid ground. I turned around and couldn’t help but to laugh at my friend’s terrified pale white faces. “Look at how beautiful it is,” I reassured them. “Just keep your eyes on the horizon.” The site really was breath taking, you could see for miles. “Stevie Church,” the instructor announced my name and I slowly walked over to join him. I plopped down on the seat filling my mind with anything other than the jump itself. He tightened a towel around my ankles and I started laughing. What else could I do? I was about to jump head first off a 16 story platform, into a lake, with nothing more than a towel tied to my feet. “Ready?” he asked. I stood up just in time to see the girl in front of me disappear leaving nothing but her screaming echo behind. “Let’s do it!” I responded. Keeping my eyes on the horizon, I waddled to the edge of the podium and took one last big breathe. “One…two…three...” and I dove.

The next morning was pretty interesting, eight girls crammed into one tiny hostel room with four bunk beds and suitcases scattered everywhere. There was barely any walking room but we couldn't be bothered with that mess, the only thing anyone could focus on was the bungee plunge that was happening later that afternoon. Our destination today was the AJ Hackett bungee jumping center- the only one in all of Australia. The fact that there was only one location to bungee jump in the entire country of Australia made me pretty nervous, but I distracted myself with other thoughts and continued chatting with others. Besides bungee jumping our group also had the opportunity to take a ride on the Minjin Swing. Elizabeth, Ang and I grouped up for the swing ride and decided that it would be best to tackle it first. A swing ride does not sound intimidating when compared to a bungee jump but we soon learned that it was pretty comparable. The swing reached a height of about 147 feet (almost just as high as the bungee jump) and traveled at a speed of 74 miles per hour. The three of us laid down on the harness and the instructor hoisted us up into the air. I had no idea the swing ride was going to be that high. Elizabeth held the string, the light turned green and she yanked. We flew down the cord, past the instructor and right back into the air on the opposite side of the launch. The feeling was indescribable. We moved so fast together that it was hard to even tell what happened.

 

Next- the bungee. Feeling a little more confident from the thrilling swing launch, we walked over to the bungee stairs and started the 164 foot hike upwards. We were all really nervous but I tried my best to stay calm and confident and talk everyone else through it. Encouraging other people helped to take off my own edge. We finally reached the top and walked over the wobbly platform to join the other jumpers who were waiting for their turn. Wobbly platform, how safe I thought. The view was unbelievable, you could see everything for miles around. Even looking down below (which most other people refused to do) was really cool. The bungee jump was placed over a small little lagoon of water and after your jump, you dangled over the water until the motor boat raft came out and took you down. I continued encouraging everyone while waiting for my turn. To say I wasn't nervous would be a complete and utter lie but I can confidently admit that I felt much braver than everyone else. The instructor called me over and commended me on my cheer leading skills. I plopped down as he tightly wrapped a black towel around my ankles and fastened it on with a string. He hooked my feet to a giant cord and told me to stand up. I waddled slowly to the edge, heart racing, and kept my eyes locked into the horizon. A thousand excuses streamed through my mind but I pushed them away and took a deep breathe. You can do this, I told myself. Determined to make my drive graceful, I counted to three and plunged into the air.

It is really hard to describe the feeling that comes from free falling. At first you do not even realize what is happening, I actually think that your body enters into temporary shock. Once your mind grasps control of the situation again, you have a few seconds to access what is happening. "I am falling, head first, very quickly, through thin air..." It literally feels just like that, like you are falling through the air. Before your body can further determine how it feels, you reach the bottom and the cord yanks you up again. The process repeats itself for a few times before the momentum finally wears off and you stop moving. And then, thats it, your done. You bungee jumped.

Everyone was pretty amped up from their jump as we headed back to our hostel to get ready for the night. Some people were still wet because they had gotten dunked in the water during their bungee. I still cannot believe that I actually jumped, the feeling was unreal and I would do it again in a heartbeat. After some dinner, showers and makeup we all headed out back to the Woolshed for some more drinks and dancing.