Key facts
- Fact 01
AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch opened the Kawarau Bridge bungy near Queenstown in November 1988.
- Fact 02
AJ Hackett International describes Kawarau Bridge as the world's first year-round commercial public bungy site.
- Fact 03
The NZ Herald credits the Hāpuawhenua Viaduct site near Ohakune as the world's first commercial bungy operation, operating in 1988.
- Fact 04
The Kawarau Bridge bungy is 43 m above the Kawarau River, about 23 km from central Queenstown.
- Fact 05
The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge opened in December 1880; Heritage New Zealand names H. P. Higginson as engineer and John McCormick as the tender winner.
The Kawarau Bridge bungy, on State Highway 6 in the Gibbston Valley about 23 km from central Queenstown, is where AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch opened their bungy site in November 1988. We read the AJ Hackett International timeline on 29 October 2026: it describes the opening as that of the world's first year-round commercial public bungy site. The operator's Kawarau page calls the site the World Home of Bungy. The jump is 43 m above the Kawarau River.
Was it the world's first commercial bungy? The record is contested. The same AJ Hackett timeline says an AJ Hackett site at Ohakune opened earlier in 1988 as the world's first commercial bungy site, and the NZ Herald reported in 2021 that the Hāpuawhenua Viaduct site near Ohakune is recognised as the world's first commercial bungy operation. Bungy did not begin in Queenstown either: Guinness World Records lists the first bungee jump in Bristol, England, on 1 April 1979, and AJ Hackett's own timeline records his first jump from Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge in November 1986.
The bridge is much older than the bungy. Heritage New Zealand records that H. P. Higginson of Dunedin was the engineer and that the construction tender went to John McCormick; the bridge opened in December 1880. DOC says it was built to improve road access to the Otago goldfields, and Higginson won a Telford Premium for the work in 1882. Road traffic moved to a new bridge in 1963 and the old one was kept for its historic value. It is a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic place.
You do not have to jump to visit: the operator says entry to the viewing area is free, and the bridge sits on the Arrow River Bridges Trail for walkers and cyclists.
If you want a jump of your own in Queenstown, the Shotover Canyon Swing is a canyon swing, not a bungy. Its own website says it has been locally owned and operated since 2002, is about 10 minutes from the town centre, and lets you jump yourself or be released. Our bungy jumping guide covers jumping around Queenstown, and our adventure planner helps fit one into a trip.
Questions visitors are asking
Was Kawarau Bridge the world's first commercial bungy jump?
It depends on the source. AJ Hackett describes Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown, opened in November 1988, as the world's first year-round commercial bungy site. The same AJ Hackett timeline says its Ohakune site opened earlier in 1988 as the first commercial site, and the NZ Herald credits the Hāpuawhenua Viaduct site near Ohakune.
Who built the Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown?
Heritage New Zealand records that H. P. Higginson of Dunedin was the engineer of the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge near Queenstown and that the construction tender went to John McCormick. The bridge opened in December 1880 to improve road access to the Otago goldfields, and Higginson won a Telford Premium for the work in 1882.
How high is the Kawarau Bridge bungy?
The Kawarau Bridge bungy is 43 m above the Kawarau River, according to AJ Hackett Bungy NZ. The site is on State Highway 6 in the Gibbston Valley, about 23 km, or 25 to 35 minutes' drive, from central Queenstown. The operator says entry to the viewing area is free, so you can watch without jumping.
Where did bungy jumping start?
Not in Queenstown. Guinness World Records lists the first bungee jump in Bristol, England, in 1979. AJ Hackett made his first jump from Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge in November 1986, then opened sites at Ohakune and at Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown in 1988. AJ Hackett calls Kawarau Bridge the World Home of Bungy.
Is there a jump near Queenstown that is not a bungy?
Yes. The Shotover Canyon Swing near Queenstown is a canyon swing, not a bungy. Its own website says it has been locally owned and operated since 2002, is about 10 minutes from the Queenstown town centre, and lets you choose to jump yourself or to be released.