Queenstown’s high school students’ farewell ritual
If you ask a Kiwi how he celebrated finishing high school you might get a suprising answer. A boring party, celebrating with friends? No, that’s way too dull for those ones coming from Queenstown.
The city’s popularity for extreme sports is well known, especially tourists enjoy its wide offer. Nevertheless, bungy jumping also represents a “rite of passage” for Wakatipu High School students after finishing school. Many of them choose to jump together with another classmate, around 600 school leavers have taken the opportunity since 2005.
This is a great way to start a new stage of life, at least if you have enough courage to do the jump. But compared to the Nevis Bungy which is 134 metres high and also located in Queenstown, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy with its 43 metres is a good way to start.
Even a 91-year-old lady, called Mary Manssen from Auckland, did the jump. And referring to my own experience, the instructors also do a really good job. They even encourage you to jump by counting down from three to one and afterwards shouting your country’s name when you fall and the river underneath you comes closer with every second.
