(In December, 1994, following an extremely enjoyable and interesting combinatorics conference in Auckland, New Zealand, I went on a brief tour of the South Island. My last day there, I had a noon flight from Queenstown to Auckland, followed by my return flight to the USA later that night.  The following is an excerpt from the e-mail account of my travels, typed from Auckland before I left, about that eventful, last New Zealand morning.)
 

This morning I awoke and decided to head out to the bridge we had seen on our trip to Queenstown from Mt. Cook. I did not have time for a complete tour this morning as my flight from Queenstown was at noon. So I decided to head for the Kawarau suspension bridge over the Kawarau river gorge.

For those who do not know the significance of this bridge (and I WAS one of them) this is where, in 1988, A. J. Hackett developed bungy jumping from an age-old Pacific ritual. The entire Queenstown area seems to be a hotbed of bungy jumping with jumps from helicopters, bridges, cliffs, you name it. Anyway, I decided to go watch the jumping for an hour or so, camera in hand. They operate a bus from Queenstown for the short 20 minute ride and promised to drop me off at the Queenstown airport on the way back to get my flight. So, I had camera, overnight bag, and shopping package in tow for the trip.

Some of the van's 8 occupants were going to jump, others like me were just going to watch. These idiots! Jumping 143 feet to the waters below, with nothing more than an oversized rubber band between you and kingdom-come, the river gushing below, the cliffs on either side. It was amazing to watch these idiots, some flew out with arms spread like wings, others jumped very frightened feet first (or dropped).

And then an amazing thing happened. With 30 minutes to go before the van left to take me back to the airport, I became one of these idiots!! In a moment of sheer idiocy, I shelled out the money, was weighed and walked out to the center of the bridge for my turn. I was attached by the ankles to the rubber band and, after a moment's disbelief that I was actually doing this, flung myself into the air, eyes shut tight, the sound of the wind rushing past my ears getting louder and louder, until I was jerked back into the land of the living. After a few oscillations, the boat below came to fetch me and return me safe and sound to shore. I still cannot believe I did it. I must have been mad! I received my official certificate, t-shirt, video of my jump and pictures (to be sent in the mail) and went on my merry way to the airport. I cannot begin to describe the feeling one has afterwards. The adrenalin has pumped and there is a high that I believe cannot be matched by anything. I felt SO GOOD!

And so ended my trip to New Zealand. I came back into the university in Auckland to type all this on e-mail, send it off, and I better stop now or I will miss my flight tonight out of here.

It has truly been wonderful!!

For a pictorial view of this experience (including a movie), click here!