In a nutshell
- A 130m zipline at the Kawarau Bungy Centre in the Gibbston Valley, reached from Queenstown in about a 25-minute drive (23 km).[1][2]
- Zipride listings start from US$29 per person, with reserve now and pay later and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.[3]
- Plan for 1 to 2.5 hours on site, and check availability to see the starting times for your date.[3]
- Listings are small group ones, limited to 6 participants, with an instructor who speaks English.[3]
- The Kawarau Bridge bungy site is 43 metres above the water, and the world's first commercial bungy jump launched there on 12 April 1988.[4]
| Kawarau Bungy | Kawarau Zipride | Kawarau Swing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$188[5] | from US$29[3] | from US$141[6] |
| Duration | 1 - 2.5 hours[5] | 1 - 2.5 hours[3] | 1 - 2.5 hours[6] |
| Rating | 4.90 from 195 reviews[5] | 4.42 from 62 reviews[3] | 4.88 from 39 reviews[6] |
| Group size | Limited to 6 participants[5] | Limited to 6 participants[3] | Limited to 6 participants[6] |
| Cancellation | Free cancellation up to 24 hours[5] | Free cancellation up to 24 hours[3] | Free cancellation up to 24 hours[6] |
Kawarau Zipride is 130m long & absolutely thrilling. According to AJ Hackett's team, the highest speed achieved on this zipline is 60 km/h (which is quite fast considering there are no vehicles involved).
Is the Kawarau Bridge Zipride worth booking?
Know before you book
What the Kawarau Bridge Zipride is
The Kawarau Bridge Zipride is the zipline at the Kawarau Bungy Centre, on the historic suspension bridge site in the Gibbston Valley. The ride is a 130m long zipline that reaches a highest speed of 60 km/h according to AJ Hackett's team.[1] Some people know it as the Kawarau bridge zipline, and that is the same ride. You check in, get harnessed, and then the line takes your weight and carries you out over the gorge with the river running below you.
What makes this ride different is where it hangs. The Kawarau Bridge bungy site is 43 metres above the water, and the world's first commercial bungy jump was launched there on 12 April 1988.[4] The Zipride runs from the same centre, so you ride beside the original jump platform, above the turquoise Kawarau River, with the old suspension bridge and the gorge walls framing the view. There is a short walk and a briefing before your turn, and then the line does the rest of the work.
Getting to the Kawarau Bungy Centre from Queenstown
From Queenstown, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand puts the Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre at around a 25-minute drive (23 km) via State Highway 6.[2] The road out follows the river through the gorge, with rock faces on one side and vineyards starting as you reach Gibbston. If you are driving yourself, allow a little extra time when you leave Queenstown in the morning, and keep an eye out for the bridge as the valley opens up.
You do not need to arrive hours ahead. Turn up with enough time to check in, sort out the paperwork, get fitted with a harness and listen to the briefing. Since listings run for 1 to 2.5 hours, the Zipride usually folds neatly into a half day and leaves the rest of your afternoon free.[3] If you are coming from further afield, the centre works well as a stop on the way to or from Cromwell and the vineyards beyond.
Most people drive out, and the trip slots easily into a day that also takes in a cellar door or a river activity. If you are booking several adventures across your trip, group them by valley so you are not crossing Queenstown twice in one day.
The Kawarau Gorge, where the bridge and the zipline hang above the river.
What the Zipride costs and how booking works
Zipride listings start from US$29 per person.[3] That is a from-price, so what you pay depends on the date and time you choose. The listing is a small group one, limited to 6 participants, with an instructor who speaks English, and the experience runs for 1 to 2.5 hours.[3] You can check availability to see the starting times on your date before you commit.[3]
Reserve now and pay later is offered on the listing, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[3] If your trip hinges on the weather or on other plans, that flexibility is worth having. Book the slot you want, then keep an eye on the forecast as the date gets closer.
It is the simplest way to get out over the gorge, and it suits riders easing into the adventure side of Queenstown or travelling with people who would rather watch. It is also short enough that a nervous first timer can commit without giving up a whole day.
The Kawarau Bridge Bungy next door
The Zipride shares its site with the jump that started the commercial bungy industry. The Kawarau Bridge bungy site is 43 metres above the water, and the world's first commercial bungy jump was launched there on 12 April 1988.[4] By 1994, 100,000 jumps had been completed at the bridge.[8] Watching people step off a platform while you wait for your turn is part of the atmosphere here.
The bungy is booked as its own experience, starting from US$188 and running 1 to 2.5 hours, with small groups limited to 6 participants.[5] It is rated 4.90 from 195 reviews, with breakdown scores of 4.9 for the guide, 4.9 for transportation and 4.7 for value for money.[5] A guide to bungee jumping describes free fall lasting about 5 seconds and reaching a speed of about 70 km/h.[9]
Spectating is genuinely good here. The bridge walkways and viewing spots put you right above the water, so friends and family can watch both the jumpers and the zipliners without paying for a ride.
from US$29
Zipride listings at the Kawarau Bungy Centre start here, in the Gibbston Valley a short drive from Queenstown.[3]
Other ways to get your adrenaline fix at Kawarau
The Kawarau Swing runs at the same centre and can be taken solo, tandem or triple, from US$141, in small groups limited to 6 participants.[6] It is rated 4.88 from 39 reviews.[6] If you cannot choose between the two, the Kawarau Bungy and Swing combo is from US$270 and covers both in one visit.[10]
On the water, the Kawarau River rafting and jet boat ride starts from US$193 over 4.5 hours, and the Kawarau River whitewater rafting trip starts from US$146 over 4 hours.[11][12] The Kawarau River is a much deeper and bigger river, flowing through Central Otago vineyards, and the rafting trip ends with a 400 meter long, grade 3/4 rapid.[13] Further up the valley, the Nevis Bungy is from US$232 and the Nevis Swing from US$191, each running 4 hours.[14][15]
If you would rather stay dry, the Shotover River and Kawarau River jet boat ride runs for 1 hour from US$87 and is rated 4.76 from 1,959 reviews.[16]
When to go and what to wear
Summer brings the longest, warmest days and the busiest booking calendars. Autumn is quieter and the gorge turns gold. Winter is crisp, and you will want gloves while you wait on the platform. Spring can swing between both, with warm afternoons and cold mornings. Whichever month you pick, check the forecast before you drive out and build a little slack into your day.
Wear closed shoes that will not come off, clothes that sit close to the body so they behave under a harness, and a light windproof layer. The gorge can feel breezier and cooler than central Queenstown. Leave loose items with whoever is watching, or in the car, and keep a hair tie handy if you have long hair.
One more thing worth knowing: the Zipride sits at the same centre as the bungy, so the people around you are a mix of nervous jumpers, families taking a turn on the line and spectators with cameras.
Making a day of the Gibbston Valley
Gold was first discovered in the Kawarau Gorge in the early 1860s, sparking a rush that transformed Central Otago.[17] The drive out from Queenstown passes through country that still looks like a mining landscape in places, with tailings, rock walls and old stone structures beside the road.
Beyond the bridge the valley opens into vineyards and cellar doors, and the road carries on towards Cromwell. A common shape for the day is a Zipride slot in the morning, lunch in Gibbston, a short walk beside the river, then the drive back into Queenstown in the afternoon. It works in almost any weather and it does not need a full day set aside.
Queenstown welcomed 412,897 international visitors in 2024.[18] Booking your slot and your lunch table ahead is sensible in the warmer months, and the free cancellation window gives you room to move if plans change.
Bungy site heights around Queenstown
Heights of the AJ Hackett sites around Queenstown: Kawarau Bridge at 43 metres[4], the Ledge at 47 metres and Nevis at 134 metres.[19]
Kawarau and Queenstown adventures, from-prices
All amounts are GetYourGuide from-prices in US dollars for these listings, whatever the age of the rider.[3][5][6][16]
Choosing your season at Kawarau
How to book the Zipride
Choose your date
Open the listing, check availability for the day you want and pick a start time that leaves room around the drive.
Read the details
Look at the group size, restrictions and cancellation terms before you pay, and note what you need to bring.
Lock it in
Reserve now and pay later is an option, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[3]
Drive out
Head from Queenstown via State Highway 6 and check in at the Kawarau Bungy Centre before your slot.[2]
Take your turn
Get harnessed, listen to the briefing, ride the line over the river, then collect your photos and head back across the bridge.
Ready to ride the Kawarau Bridge Zipride?
from US$189Reserve now & pay later
