Where commercial bungy began, twenty minutes east at Gibbston. Free to walk in, watch from the decks, and have a drink without jumping off anything.
The Kawarau Bungy Centre sits above the Kawarau River at Gibbston, twenty minutes east of Queenstown on the road to Cromwell. It is the site of the world's first commercial bungy operation, opened by AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch in November 1988, and it has grown into a proper visitor centre rather than just a place with a bridge.
Entry is free. So is parking. You can spend an hour here without jumping off anything.
If you are not jumping
The viewing deck is cut into the rock face above the river and looks straight down the bridge, so you get the full sequence — the shuffle to the edge, the pause, the drop. There are swing seats and shade if you would rather sit. It is one of the better free hours in the district, and a reasonable stop if half your group is jumping and the other half is not.
Liquid Courage is the outdoor bar, the café does food and coffee, and the shop sells the usual tees and hoodies. If you are riding the Queenstown Trails, there is free e-bike charging.
What runs from here
- Kawarau Bridge Bungy — the original 43-metre jump off the bridge, from $320.
- Kawarau Swing — opened in October 2025, and can be ridden solo, in pairs or as a three. From $240.
- Kawarau Zipride — a cable ride across the gorge, from $50.
Practical detail
- Open: every day including public holidays — 8.30am to 5pm October to April, 9am to 4.30pm May to September, with the last activity half an hour before closing
- Entry: free, including parking and the viewing decks
- Getting here: twenty minutes from central Queenstown on State Highway 6, or take the Bungy Bus from the Queenstown Bungy Centre in the Station building
- Booking: not needed to visit; book jumps ahead over summer
Prices and hours checked September 2026. For the rest of the district's jumps, see bungy jumping around Queenstown.
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