Day 37: Jungle Bungy Jump

When we first set foot in Cairns, we must have encountered at least three tourism shops with deals on sky diving, snorkeling, scuba diving, rafting, bungy jumping, helicopter rides, atv tours, and just about anything a man with just an ounce of testosterone could dream up. Well, we got suckered into a bungy jump for A$169, and the conversion rate was icing on the cake. Eight of us signed up yesterday, and the anticipation was through the roof. I think half of our group is afraid of heights, so this was bound to be interesting. This jump measured in at 50 meters, or 164 feet, was not the tallest jump, but certainly came with a twist. You can get dunked, touch the water, or just jump, and a level two jump (for just A$50 extra) could be done with a running start, a back flip, front flip, or anything else you feel like doing. Some people even ride bikes off the edge. Not many places in the world will allow you to do such madness, but our group did. I went with the basic jump, and three of our group went for the roof run jump. I chose to take a splash, and as I wiggled my way to the edge of the platform with my feet bound and my friends watching with anticipation, I finally took in what I had signed up for the day before. There is nothing quite like the feeling one gets from free-fall. Although I had experienced it when skydiving in Homestead, the shakes and deep breaths were alive and well. As I viewed the entire horizon from the eagles nest view, the count to five ensued, and I pushed any doubts out of my mind. 1...2...3... ... ...

As my knees bent in preparation for the launch, no 4 came from behind, and I stopped the process, only for the countdown to restart from 1. Not sure exactly why the guy stopped, but I went ahead with the new countdown (slightly worried), and on 4 . My brain said "Nick you jacka**, no no no no," but I pushed through the urge to scream "oh s***" and let gravity do the rest. Once your feet leave that platform, there is no looking back. No regrets, no thoughts, nothing. Pure adrenaline and instinct take over as your body accelerates with the wind racing by your face and body. Just as the acceleration stops, the bungy cord engages and slows your approach to the water just enough to dunk your hands, face, and chest. I almost forgot to tuck my chin and extend my arms, and did so just in time to feel the cold relief of the pond. Just as fast as I plunged in, I accelerated back up roughly 75 feet, and bounced around several more times until I was lowered down into a boat, where a worker grabbed me and unhooked my feet. The rest is history, but man, I'm sure I'll be doing it again. Sorry mom, guess you'll just have to come with. ;) This last day in Cairns was one for the books.