AJ Hackett Bungy In Queenstown: Every Site Compared

Searching the operator name usually means one thing: you have already decided to jump, and now you are working out where. AJ Hackett Bungy NZ is the only bungy operator found in Queenstown, and it sells jumps from three locations of very different character. One is the historic bridge where commercial bungy began. One is a 134 m canyon pod reached only by 4WD bus. The third sits above town and is not yet taking bookings again.

This guide compares all three on the numbers that decide the purchase: height, price, age and weight limits, travel time and what happens after you let go.

What Is AJ Hackett Bungy In Queenstown?

AJ Hackett Bungy NZ is a single adventure company that operates every bungy, swing and catapult in Queenstown, from three sites: the Kawarau Bungy Centre in Gibbston Valley, the Nevis Playground in a canyon on private land, and The Ledge at the top of the Skyline Gondola, which is reopening for summer 26/27 per the operator. Because one company runs everything, the choice between sites is about height, price and logistics rather than about picking a brand.

The company's own story is woven through the town. According to the operator, the first commercial bungy in the world opened at the Kawarau Bridge in November 1988, when a jump cost NZD 75. The operator calls the bridge "recognised as the birth of adventure tourism in New Zealand" and brands it the "World Home of Bungy". Its founders, AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch, developed the bungy cord, and the company tells how AJ Hackett jumped the Eiffel Tower in June 1987 before all of it. That history is told on the operator's about page, and it is the operator's own telling rather than an independent account.

One practical consequence matters for a buyer: the operator also says its code of practice, instigated in 1990, is now an industry standard for Australia and New Zealand. The company uses the words "spotless safety record" about itself; that is its marketing claim, not a finding of this site.

The three sites split by family. Kawarau and Nevis each sell a bungy plus swing-style add-ons and combos, with their own age, weight and transport rules that never cross over. The Ledge is the operator's third site and is not currently bookable, which means every booking decision today is really a two-way choice.

Which AJ Hackett Sites Can You Book Right Now?

Only two of the three sites sell jumps today: the Kawarau Bridge Bungy at 43 m, from NZD 320 adult, and the Nevis Bungy at 134 m, from NZD 395, both at the operator's prices. The Ledge Bungy and Ledge Swing are listed by the operator as coming in summer 26/27, with a waitlist and no bookable time slots. Every price below is a "from" figure that changes by date and time.

The comparison table below holds the core numbers for all three sites, drawn from the operator's own pages. The height column uses the operator's stated figures, and the price column is the adult "from" price. The Ledge prices come from the operator's FAQ text, and its gondola ticket is bought separately.

Two ratings can be attached to specific products. The Nevis Bungy is rated 5.0 across 122 reviews, and the Kawarau Bridge Bungy is rated 4.9, though no reliable review count exists for it, so none is printed. The Nevis Bungy & Swing Combo carries a 5.0 rating with no count. The other combo products carry no rating at all, and nothing is said about their standing.

Read the table honestly and the decision often makes itself. A 10 or 11 year old in the group can only jump at Kawarau. Anyone over 127 kg can only jump at Kawarau, whose solo and tandem maximum is 160 kg, dropping to 130 kg when the river is high. Anyone chasing the biggest number the operator offers goes to Nevis, which the operator calls the highest bungy in New Zealand.

If you are still weighing the two bookable sites against each other in detail, the deeper comparison in which Queenstown bungy is best works through the same choice with the swing and catapult folded in.

How Do Kawarau And Nevis Compare Beyond Height?

Kawarau is a 43 m jump from a historic bridge in Gibbston Valley, reached by a 25 minute drive or free Bungy Bus, with a water touch option the crew cannot guarantee. Nevis is a 134 m jump from a cable car pod over a canyon, reached only by the operator's 4WD bus. Kawarau suits shorter visits and younger jumpers; Nevis is a half-day commitment with an 8.5 second plunge, per the operator.

The two experiences differ in more than metres. At Kawarau you jump from the bridge where the company began, and the operator lowers you to a boat in the river afterwards. The water touch, where the cord dips you toward the river, depends on river level and crew discretion on the day, so it is an option rather than a promise. At Nevis you are lifted back to the platform instead, and the jump itself is made from a cable car pod suspended over the canyon, in the operator's own wording.

Time budgets are very different. The operator says to allow 1.5 hours at Kawarau if you self-drive, or 2.5 hours if you take its Bungy Bus from central Queenstown. A Nevis trip runs about 3.5 to 4 hours all in, because the site sits on private land with no self-drive access and the return 4WD transport is included in the price. Spectating follows the same split: spectators are free at Kawarau, while a Nevis spectator spot is NZD 50 for adults and free for under 10s.

The Kawarau 43 m bungy, the world's first commercial bungy site in the operator's telling, is also this guide's featured pick: it is the cheaper entry, it takes jumpers from age 10, and its 160 kg ceiling is the higher of the two. Its details, from tandem rules to the water touch, are covered in full in the guide to the Kawarau Bridge Bungy.

Nevis is the pick when the number is the point. The operator calls it the highest bungy in New Zealand, gives the plunge as 8.5 seconds, and rates 5.0 across 122 reviews attach to the product itself. For a sense of how the whole canyon playground fits together, the Nevis Bungy guide covers the pod, the bus and the booking windows in one place.

What Does Each AJ Hackett Activity Cost?

The operator's adult prices start at NZD 320 for the Kawarau Bridge Bungy, NZD 395 for the Nevis Bungy, NZD 240 for the Kawarau Swing, NZD 325 for the Nevis Swing and NZD 295 for the Nevis Catapult, with the Kawarau Zipride at NZD 50. Every figure is a "from" price that moves with date and time, and no other price exists to print.

Child pricing is not uniform, which catches families out. The Kawarau Bridge Bungy has a child price from NZD 280 against the NZD 320 adult figure, and the swings have their own lower child tiers. The Nevis Bungy and the Nevis Catapult have no lower child price: the operator charges NZD 295 and NZD 395 respectively for adults and children alike.

A few money facts sit beside the headline prices. Booking direct with the operator includes photos, video with instant delivery to your device, and an activity t-shirt, per the operator. A card transaction fee of 1.99 percent applies and is non-refundable, which matters if you later cancel. The operator also runs a best price guarantee: contact it before booking if you find a cheaper live price and it says it will match it.

If budget is the deciding lens, the fuller price breakdown in what a Queenstown bungy costs runs the same operator figures across seasons and party sizes.

Which Combos Does The Operator Sell?

The bookable combos pair activities at one site or across the two sites: the Nevis Bungy & Swing Combo from NZD 620, the Nevis Bungy & Catapult Combo from NZD 590, the Nevis Thrillogy from NZD 805, and the Kawarau Bungy & Swing Combo from NZD 460. The operator says the Nevis Thrillogy saves NZD 210 against buying the three Nevis activities separately.

The combo logic is simple: a Nevis trip already costs you half a day and a 45 minute bus ride each way, so stacking two or three activities there reuses the travel. The Nevis Swing is a 300 m / 984 ft arc which the operator calls the "Most Famous Swing in the World", and the Nevis Catapult, in the operator's words, propels riders 150 m / 492 ft with up to 3Gs. Neither the single swing nor the single catapult carries a rating or review count, and none is invented here. The rest of the planning pages sit on Queenstown Bungy Jump.

Cross-site combos exist too, sold by the operator directly: the Nevis Bungy paired with the Kawarau Bungy from NZD 615, the Nevis Swing with the Kawarau Bungy from NZD 545, and the Nevis Catapult with the Kawarau Bungy from NZD 515. The four combos in the table above are the ones with bookable tour pages here, and full detail on the whole offer layer is in the Queenstown bungy combo deals guide. The operator's own combo page, the operator's combos page, lists the live bundle prices.

What Is Happening With The Ledge?

The Ledge Bungy and Ledge Swing are listed by the operator as coming in summer 26/27, with a waitlist on its own site and no bookable time slots, so nothing about them can be reserved here. The operator's FAQ text gives Ledge Bungy from NZD 240 and Ledge Swing from NZD 210, both excluding the Skyline gondola ticket. There is no reopening date to print, and no booking can be made for it now.

The Ledge is the odd one of the three sites. It sits at the top of the Skyline Gondola above Queenstown, with the ticket office at the top of Brecon Street, about a five minute walk from downtown, and the gondola bought separately from Skyline. When it operates, the operator gives its hours as seven days, 1:00pm to 8:00pm, closed Christmas Day. Unlike the other two sites, the Ledge Bungy uses a waist harness and a run-and-jump format from 47 m / 154 ft off the platform, with jumpers lifted back up afterwards.

For now the honest advice is to treat it as a future option. The operator's own page is the place to check status, and anyone set on a night jump over the town lights can join the waitlist there. Nothing on this site can sell you a Ledge jump today, and no tour card for it exists.

Who Can Jump Where: Ages, Weights And Health?

Kawarau products take the youngest and heaviest jumpers: the bridge bungy runs from age 10 and 35 to 160 kg, and the Kawarau Swing from age 8. Nevis products start at 13 and cap at 127 kg. Under 18s need adult consent at check-in, and under 14s need an adult aged 18 or over on site, who does not have to take part. Weather can change operating weight ranges on the day.

The per-product limits never transfer between sites, so check the exact row before booking for a group.

Health disclosure follows one list across the operator's pages: tell the crew about high or low blood pressure, heart conditions, epilepsy, high myopia, broken or fractured bones, dislocations, fragile skin, neurological disorders, diabetes, asthma, prosthetics, panic or anxiety attacks and recent sprains or muscular injuries. Pregnant guests and photosensitive epilepsy cannot take part, and osteoporosis, scoliosis and recent concussion need a doctor's certificate. The only advice beyond the operator's own list is to check with your doctor and tell the crew when you book. No drugs or alcohol are allowed, and the operator may test. Glasses cannot be worn; prescription safety goggles are available, and the operator's safety page says free of charge.

There is no strict height limit; you must simply fit the harness, and the crew assesses each jumper on the day. Kawarau is the operator's preferred Queenstown site for more severe mobility impairment, with participation at the operator's discretion. Family-specific planning, including the consent and supervision rules in practice, is covered in Queenstown bungy with kids.

How Do You Get To Each Site And When Should You Book?

Kawarau Bungy Centre is on SH6 in Gibbston Valley, about 25 minutes and 23 km from Queenstown, with free parking and a free Bungy Bus with limited seats from central Queenstown. Nevis is on private land with no self-drive: the operator's 4WD Bungy Bus is included and takes about 45 minutes each way. The operator says to book Nevis 4 to 6 weeks ahead in summer, and about 48 hours outside peak.

The Bungy Bus leaves from the Queenstown Bungy Centre at the corner of Shotover and Camp Streets, in The Station building, and you check in 30 minutes before departure. At Kawarau itself you check in 15 minutes before your jump, and the site is open daily including public holidays except Christmas Day, 8:30am to 5:00pm from October to April and 9:00am to 4:30pm from May to September, with the last jump 30 minutes before closing. A Nevis pickup at Kawarau can be requested, which is how some families split the day.

Timing advice comes straight from the operator's FAQ. Peak season runs 15 December to 15 January, with the busiest days 30 December to 2 January. The operator runs in most weather including rain, and if weather or safety stops operation you can transfer, reschedule or take a full refund. Cancellation is the mirror image: more than 24 hours ahead is fully refundable minus the 1.99 percent card fee, while under 24 hours, a no-show, or deciding not to jump on the day is non-refundable. Those rules are laid out on the operator's FAQ page, and the practical angles are unpacked in the guide to getting to Kawarau Bridge from Queenstown.

Questions about a specific slot, a group booking or a weight edge case go to the operator directly on 0800 286 4958 or +64 3 450 1300, or by WhatsApp on +64 3 450 2823.

What Mistakes Trip People Up When Choosing An AJ Hackett Site?

The common mistakes are assuming limits transfer between sites, expecting The Ledge to be bookable, and budgeting the wrong time: a Nevis trip runs about 3.5 to 4 hours door to door. People also book child prices that do not exist at Nevis, and bank on the Kawarau water touch, which depends on river level and crew discretion. Checking the right row for the right product fixes almost all of it.

The weight trap deserves its own sentence. A jumper over 127 kg cannot jump at Nevis at any price, and at Kawarau the solo maximum drops from 160 kg to 130 kg when the river is high, so a jumper near the ceiling should ask the operator before travelling. Tandem pairs at Kawarau face two numbers at once: a combined maximum of 235 kg and a maximum 30 kg difference between partners.

The second trap is treating the summer 26/27 Ledge reopening as a current option. It is not, and no date exists beyond the operator's season wording. Build your plan on Kawarau and Nevis, and add the Ledge later if the operator opens it.

The third is timing. Book Nevis late in the peak window of 15 December to 15 January and you may find the slots you want are gone, since the operator itself recommends 4 to 6 weeks ahead in summer. And note that the "decide not to jump" clause makes backing out on the platform a non-refundable decision, so talk to the crew about nerves beforehand rather than on the platform.

Common Questions About AJ Hackett Bungy In Queenstown