1. Queenstown: AJ Hackett Bungy

AJ Hackett, a Kiwi genius or madman – depending on your perspective – launched the world’s first commercial bungy in 1987 with a particularly audacious feat: He jumped off the Eiffel Tower attached only by his specially-developed bungy ropes, receiving a brief jail sentence but drawing global attention.

The Eiffel Tower stunt kick-started Hackett’s bungy business in one of the most scenic locations in the world: a heritage suspension bridge spanning Queenstown’s Kawarau Gorge. He drew inspiration from the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club, which in turn had copied bungy from the Vanuatuan tradition of “land-diving” using vines. When he started his commercial bungy business in 1988, the new extreme sport was an immediate hit and launched both New Zealand’s adventure tourism industry and its reputation as an adrenaline capital.

Today, AJ Hackett Bungy has grown to include global locations, and at Queenstown they now offer zip rides, bridge swings, catapults and more. But don’t be too scared – after more than a million jumps, they still have a spotless safety record.