AJ Hackett Taupo Bungy & Swing — Attraction in North Island

NOTE: This is posted on behalf of a team member who did this experience as part of the feature in the February '25 issue. I was lucky enough to be the Test Dummy for a magazine article on the AJ Hackett Bungy & Swing Centre in Taupo. I was doing the combo: swing then jump.

Before the bridge swing I felt pretty level, I'd done stuff like this before and lived so a part of me knew I was going to be alright, there was just a slight niggle of nervousness. That ramped up once I was harnessed and dangling over open air. I could feel that my entire stability had now been reduced to a single point of contact and that definately drew out some more adrenaline. During the actual swing I was freaking out for what felt like the first couple seconds from the shock of gravity having its fun with me, but that quickly turned into thrill during all the swinging, which then became a more quiet but still 'wired' feeling while they hauled me back up. Next was the Bungy Jump.

That flow of adrenaline made me a bit more nervous before doing the jump, again it was mostly stable until I was waddling toward the edge of the platform, and looking down was when I felt my heart quickening again. I actually had to close my eyes while tilting over for the jump in order for me to silence the 'grabber' instinct, and during the fall it was actually calmer compared to the swing. There was no sudden "WTF" feeling followed by massive thrill, it was just thrill the whole way through. The energy left in my system after getting back to shore off the raft was enough to power me through about the first third of the walk back up, but that energy quickly left me and made the rest of the trek back a bit more tiring as the adrenaline started to crash.

The whole way, the team were cool, calm and collected. I felt safe and knew I was in for a thrill. Would I go back? Already...

The Thrill of Bungy Jumping in Taupo, New Zealand

Fear often disguises itself as an impenetrable wall, but in truth, it’s just a challenge waiting to be faced. This became clear to me during my bungy jumping experience in Taupo, New Zealand—a moment that forever altered my perspective on courage and adventure.

Standing on the platform, perched high above the Waikato River, the world seemed to hold its breath. The view was nothing short of breathtaking: the crystal-clear waters below sparkled under the sun, surrounded by lush greenery and distant snow-capped peaks. The serene beauty of Taupo clashed brilliantly with the adrenaline-pumping anticipation coursing through my veins.

As the countdown began, I felt a cocktail of emotions—excitement, doubt, and exhilaration. The jump itself was pure liberation. The sensation of freefalling was both terrifying and exhilarating, a paradox of surrender and control. For a moment, I was weightless, suspended between the sky and the earth, immersed in the raw beauty of New Zealand’s landscape.

The bungy cord tightened, and I bounced back into reality, my heart pounding with newfound confidence. What began as a confrontation with fear ended as one of the most empowering experiences of my life.

Taupo’s bungy jump is not just an adrenaline-filled activity; it’s an invitation to trust yourself and embrace the unknown. The memory of that view—unobstructed and magnificent—reminds me that fear is not a barrier but a doorway to incredible experiences. If you’re ever in Taupo, this leap of faith is an...

We took our 14 yr old twins to do the bungy yesterday, they had an absolute ball. Great location, staff were friendly and professional and upon leaving one female staff member told us if we came back the next day we would get a discount and the twins could try and do some tricks off the platform. With this, we thought it would be nice for the twins to try these tricks and get a discounted rate, so we went back today. While the twins had a great time, my hubby and I were left saddened when the lady behind the counter was going to try and charge us $100 more than the previous day. She ended up matching the price of the previous day but there was no discount at all provided even when we questioned it. She said she would ask the manager, but came back and said, no rules are rules, the discount only counts if you do the two bungy’s the same day. There is no information on the website about a discounted rate for doing a double bungy twice in a day or two days in a row - but it would be nice if the staff got their information right, instead of providing false information. The twins jumped less than 24 hours apart, so this left quite a bad taste...