Belatedly, this is for Lisa’s Bite Size Memoir: Crazy! (in 150 words). I thought of some really crazy stuff, but decided to play crazy-happy – instead of crazy-stupid or simply crazy-crazy!

As the Footloose Bus approached Queenstown, New Zealand, I rashly declared my intention to Bungee Jump. Only a few weeks before, at home, I’d scoffed, said I wasn’t that crazy.  Apparently I was.

Lined up on the platform to the right … try again, shall we? 5 – 4- 3 – 2 – 1 … …

The waiting was the worst, queuing seemed hours of being deaf and denture-less.

Eventually I moved into place; my ankles wrapped in towels. I didn’t like the way the little frayed hat-elastic ends swirled in the breeze on the sides of the elastic they bound around my ankles.  When I spoke, the attendant laughed and said he would be expecting a huge Australian scream from me. He counted backwards, twice, before I found courage to launch myself into space.

Jumping off

Heading straight down

Jumping off that bridge, 143 feet above the river, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I heard my scream echoing off the sides of the ravine.

coming back up, still screaming

flicking back up under the bridge, second freefall

Getting lowered down to the inflatable, to be deposited on the bank for the climb back up – to a point a bit lower than the bridge level.

I still can barely believe I did it!

1989 – aka The Ouzo Lady – New Zealand.