The Kawarau Bridge is the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping — where AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch opened the world's first commercial bungy operation on 12 November 1988, charging NZ$75 for a 43-metre jump off a 1880s-era suspension bridge over the Kawarau River. The operation has since made over 500,000 jumps and remains the most iconic of the AJ Hackett sites worldwide.
The 43-metre jump is gentle by current Queenstown standards (the Nevis Highwire is 134 metres), which makes Kawarau the natural choice for first-time jumpers. Tandem jumps, water-touch options (where the jumper is dunked head-first into the river), and the famous 'upside-down' pose are available. The adjacent AJ Hackett Centre has a viewing platform for non-jumpers, a café, and a museum of bungy history. The site is 23 kilometres east of Queenstown in the Gibbston Valley wine region.
Verified Facts
Kawarau bungy opened on 12 November 1988
It was the world's first commercial bungy operation
The jump is 43 metres
AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch founded the operation
Get walking directions
Gibbston Hwy, Gibbston, Queenstown, 9371, New Zealand
