I got up at about 10 and headed straight into town. I organised my transport and hostel for the next day using free internet I’d got for booking my activities in Queenstown then headed back to the hostel for lunch. After lunch I bided my time watching a bit of TV before heading down to the meeting point for my bungee jump. I was nervous, but as a veteran of 5 previous jumps the others waiting saw me as a guru so the time went quickly as I answered their questions. We boarded the bus and had to endure the driver trying to wind us up no end during the really rather hairy drive up to the bungee site. Nevis bungee is done from a cable car suspended across a gorge about 45 minutes outside Queenstown. As we arrived at the site I felt the familiar butterflies in my stomach as I headed into the centre to get fitted for my harness. The others dawdled out but I was eager to get going and ended up in the first group to get on the small metal platform which transports you across to the main cable car. I had to stand and wait for many others to do their death-defying leaps before it was finally my go. I sat in the chair next to the drop having my legs attached to the giant rubber band and had a quick peek at the drop to come. I heard encouraging words from my fellow bungeeers as I edged towards the jump position. All of a sudden the guys behind me had counted 3,2,1, bungee and I was out, floating down through the air. I let out a whoop but it was soon caught in my throat as I flew towards the ground, stomach left way behind somewhere up near the cable car. The rush was incredible, just as I’d remembered and I felt my fingers start to shake as I went to free my legs so I could swing upright on the harness while I was pulled back up. Bouncing around the valley felt amazing and it was a shame when I heard the lifting mechanism connect above me and start to pull me back up. I was welcomed back into the fold by the other jumpers and we eagerly swapped stories as we were transported back to solid ground.

After purchasing our photos and bussing back to Queenstown I headed back to the hostel for another hot tub session. This time I met a group of Irish lads from Donegal, all of whom had met at various times in New Zealand. They were a great laugh and, having intended a quiet night, I suddenly found that I’d agreed to head out with them on the town. I packed all my stuff up ready for the bus in the morning and joined them in the lounge for the first round, a few vodka and Red Bulls. The banter was sharp and I had to be alert to be able to keep up. Eventually we shipped out and headed to Buffaloes where we’d been promised a ‘beach party’ was taking place. The beach party turned out to be nothing more than a few face paints but we joined in as best we could and soon had a wonderfully moustachioed group. I was also let in on a scam the lads had been perpetrating for three days now. Steve had proudly told me earlier about a girl he had lined up that was bound to sleep with him that night. He would go round every ten minutes showing the latest text from her, boasting of just how up for it she was. Brilliantly, most of the lads had already seen each message, as it was one of them that was sending them. When the truth came out poor Steve was crushed, and for a good while stormed out of the pub and wouldn’t come back. Eventually, though, his true Irish humour came through and he saw the funny side and returned to the fold. A few of us headed across to World bar to check that out and after a fair bit of dancing it was time to return home, it was 3 by the time I crawled into bed, I had three hours before I had to be up to get the bus to Fox Glacier!