The complex played an important role in the life of many immigrants who arrived in the United States
Bungee jumping has to be one of the wildest extreme sports pursuits out there. Nothing else quite gets the adrenaline pumping than plunging from an insane height with no way back while tied to a large elastic cord. But have you ever wondered how this death-defying leisure activity caught on? And where in the world are the best places to leave your stomach in your throat?
Click through and conquer any fear of heights.
Land diving is a ritual performed by the men of the southern part of Pentecost Island in the South Pacific Ocean nation of Vanuatu.
The ceremony take places for three months of the year, between March and June, when local tribes around Lonohore gather to carry out this ancient custom. Men jump off wooden towers around 20 to 30 m (66 to 98 ft) in height with two tree vines wrapped around the ankles. The modern sport of bungee jumping is thought to originate from this unique initiation rite.
On April 1, 1979, a group of extreme sports pioneers based at Oxford University, England, known as the Dangerous Sports Club, invented modern day bungee jumping by leaping off the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. The adventurers followed this with another spectacular jump off San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge on October 1. They did so dressed in tuxedos and top hats. One of the club's most famous members was Graham Chapman, later a member of the surreal comedy troupe Monty Python.
Inspired by the Vanuatu ritual and intrigued by the Dangerous Sports Club's experimental jumps, New Zealand-born Alan John ("AJ") Hackett popularized bungee jumping by launching himself off the Eiffel Tower in Paris on June 26, 1987. The following year, he founded the first commercial bungee jump site on the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge in Queenstown, on New Zealand's South Island. He's pictured holding a photograph of the famous Paris leap on the Souleuvre Viaduct in France, another bungee jump site created by his company, AJ Hackett Bungy.
The location of the world's first commercial bungee jumping site, the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge stands 43 m (141 ft) above the Kawarau River.
Nevis Bungy, operated by AJ Hackett, is the highest bungee jump in Australasia, a vertigo inducing, adrenaline-fueled 134 m (439 ft) leap above the remote Nevis River Valley.
Greet the magnificent Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in Hunan province by leaping off the toe-curling 300-m (984-ft) Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge—the highest commercial bungee jump off a bridge anywhere the world!
According to Guinness World Records, at 233 m (764 ft) the Macau Tower's tethered bungee jump facility operated by AJ Hackett from the tower's outer rim is the highest commercial bungee jump from a building in the world.
The 111-m (364-ft) Victoria Falls Bridge, which spans the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, provides thrill seekers with one of the best bungee jumps in the world. Even actors Ewan McGregor and Will Smith have taken the plunge here.
Moviegoers will recall the opening few minutes of the James Bond movie 'GoldenEye' (1995) when 007 bungee jumps off the Verzasca Dam. At 220 m (720 ft), it's not for the faint-hearted. But if you have a license to thrill, go for it!
The 216-m (708-ft) Bloukrans Bridge near Nature's Valley in the Western Cape also offers one of the highest commercial bungee jumps in the world.
Leaping off Auckland's Sky Tower is to experience an unbelievable rush. This is a bungee jump for dare devils, who laugh at the 192-m (629-ft) drop, bounce back up, and do it all over again, very often at nightfall.
The Ledge is exactly that: a gondola set at an eye-watering 400 m (1,312 ft) high above Queenstown. The bungee jump itself is a more forgiving 47 m (154 ft), but the jaw-dropping views are still the same.
Switzerland's landmark Niouc Bridge in Val d'Anniviers is home to Europe's highest bungee jump from a suspended bridge, a giddy 190-m (623-ft) knife-edge plunge into the the Navizence River Gorge.
Bungee junkies flock for Innsbruck in their droves for a chance to fly off the Europabrücke Bridge. At a height of 190 m (623 ft), it interlinks Austria with Italy and is one of the highest bridges in Europe.
The Pont de Chaulière, or Artuby Bridge, spanning the Artuby River in the Verdon Gorge, hosts regular bungee jumping challenges. At 182 m (269 ft) high, with a jump length of 160 m (524 ft), this is the best bungee jump in France.
Vienna's Donauturm, or Danube Tower, features an observation deck set 152 m (498 ft) from which a steel ramp juts out into the sky. This is the last foothold before plunging straight down along the tower's slim body.
The longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Russia, the Sochi Skybridge is naturally located near the city of Sochi. The bridge is part of Skypark, an adventure park that includes bungee jumping in its extreme sports program.
The 40-m (131-ft) Garry Bridge in Killicrankie, Perthshire provides a launch pad for one of the most iconic bungee jumps in the United Kingdom.
Bungee jumping off Italy's Ponte della Pistolesa, also known as Ponte Colossus, is to challenge gravity. Located in the heart of the Biellese mountains near the village of Veligo-Mosso, Colossus rears up 152 m (498 ft) above the Poala River.
Bungee jumping from the Kölnbrein Dam near the alpine city of Villach will require being lifted from the top of the dam in a cage attached to a crane, positioned at the middle of the arch. It's an adventure in itself given that you'll jump a height greater than the dam itself, which at 200 m- (660 ft-) high is the tallest in Austria.
Prohodna Cave, located in the Iskar Gorge in north central Bulgaria, is a popular climbing destination. But it's also a favorite location for bungee jumpers wishing to leap into what locals call the "eyes of God."
The Bhotekoshi bungee jump is provided by the amusingly named Last Resort. Located about 100 km (62 mi) east of Kathmandu, the resort uses a 160-m (524-ft) bridge for the jump, which sends the brave hurtling towards the wild Bhote Kosi River below.
Set on cliffs near the Rishikesh village of Mohan Chatti and overlooking a tributary of the Ganges is India's highest bungee jump, at 83 m (272 ft).
New Zealand's highest cliff-top bungee jump, located 47 m (154 ft) above the Waikato River near Taupo, North Island, is a 47-m (154-ft) drop known as the Tauop Bungy.
Ivanovsky Bridge in Pervomaysk is one of the most popular bungee jump spots for beginners. The bridge is just 28 m (91 ft) in height, although the Pivdennyi Buh (Southern Bug) River far below looks double the distance.
Florac in France's Occitanie region is a mecca for professional bungee jump enthusiasts. Specially constructed platforms set on the lips of cliff tops serve as launch pads for experienced exponents of the sport, who often perform for film and photographic purposes.
Bungee jumping is available on selected dates at Tatton Park in Knutsford, Cheshire, England.
At 166 m (544 ft), bungee jumping off Romania's tallest dam is a rare experience. The dam is set on the Argeș River, and creates Lake Vidraru. Organized jump schedules are sporadic at best. Check with the folks at the Romania Tourism Office for more details.
Sources: (Vanity Fair) (Guinness World Records) (International Traveller) (Queenstown NZ) (Romania Tourism)
See also: Free solo: Climbing on the edge of death
Best bungee jump locations on the planet
Ready to take the plunge?
TRAVEL World
Bungee jumping has to be one of the wildest extreme sports pursuits out there. Nothing else quite gets the adrenaline pumping than plunging from an insane height with no way back while tied to a large elastic cord. But have you ever wondered how this death-defying leisure activity caught on? And where in the world are the best places to leave your stomach in your throat?
Click through and conquer any fear of heights.