The Kawarau Suspension Bridge in Queenstown, N.Z. is a 143-foot drop. (Photo by Margaret Socha)

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand -- The passengers in the back of the A.J. Hackett Land Rover are crammed together on cold metal benches like prisoners being transported to Death Row.

Their faces grim and their knuckles white, the fears of these passengers rival those of their metaphorical counterparts. Although they both sense the end is near, the Queenstown group have made the choice --and actually paid -- to get into the back of this jeep.

The road they are on is Skippers Canyon highway, a harrowing one- lane dirt ribbon that winds its way along the side of Skippers Canyon wall, just outside of Queenstown, New Zealand. The 50-minute, nail-biting drive is riddled with sheer cliffs, hairpin turns and rock-slide warnings.

Not to mention each individual in this group is preparing to throw themselves off a bridge with only a rubber band tied to their ankles.

"I don't know why I'm doing this, but I have to do it before I go home," says backpacker Lesley Calvin as she hobbles, ankles tied together, to the edge of the dizzyingly high platform.

As she hurtles through the air and rapidly rebounds back into space over and over again, her screams reverberate off the canyon.

After being safely lowered to the ground (head first), Lesley explodes. "Awesome!" "Excellent!" "Amazing." Select expletives follow.

Jumper after jumper take the plunge, and the adrenaline rush refuses to wear off. No worries, there's still the ride back to Queenstown on the Skippers Canyon highway.

Bungee jumping is big business in Queenstown, a popular and spectacularly scenic tourist destination on New Zealand's South Island. With three bridge jumps and one heart-stopping helicopter bungee, Queenstown is arguably the bungee capital of the world.

A.J. Hackett, a New Zealand native, launched bungee jumping as a popular sport in 1986 when he vaulted off the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In 1988, A.J. Hackett Bungy opened for business in Queenstown with the 143-foot Kawarau Suspension Bridge jump. The 230- foot Skippers Canyon Bridge leap opened in 1989.

Since then, the 309-foot Pipeline (operated by former Hackett employees) has opened, topping the Kawarau and Skippers Canyon bungees as the highest bridge jump in the world. Not to be outdone, A.J. Hackett now offers the HeliBungy, "the Big Jump," a 1,000-foot-plus plunge out of the sky.

It takes a lot of cash and a lot of courage to really enjoy Queenstown. The bungee jumps range in price from $100 (all prices are in Canadian funds) for the Kawarau jump to $300 for the HeliBungy.

Excitement

Of course, bungee jumping is only part of the excitement in Queenstown, and many deals can be found. This small town of 5,000 also offers whitewater rafting, jetboat rides, skydiving, hang gliding, helicopter flights, off-road biking, skiing/snowboarding and any other extreme sport you can imagine.

Many tour operators offer value packages such as the "Awesome Foursome," which combines bungee jumping, helicopter flight, jetboat ride and whitewater rafting in one day for $300. Psychiatric counselling may cost extra.

Don't be surprised if Queestown brings out the wildman in you. The city's frenetic pace and non-stop action can easily make you crazy, and you may just find yourself waking up one morning saying, "I'm going to jump off a bridge today!"

Although Stephanie Smith lives in Toronto, she'd rather be leaping off a bridge somewhere.

If you go: Best Time to Go: Queenstown is a year-round destination with skiing in the winter (June, July, August) and water sports in the summer (December, January, February). You can bungee jump at any time of the year, but to avoid the crowds, you may wish to consider visiting Queenstown in the spring (September, October, November) or fall (March, April, May). Temperatures during these months usually range from 11C to 19C.

Getting There: Most international flights to New Zealand arrive in Auckland on the North Island. Depending on the time of year, the 24-hour flight ranges in price from $1500 to $1800 (Air New Zealand). From there, you can fly to Queenstown (three hours) via Air New Zealand/Mount Cook Airline or Ansett New Zealand for approximately $330 return. Car rental is another (rather expensive) option for $50 to $70 per day. If you have time, probably the best alternative is to hop on a bus and see the sights along the way. For example, the InterCity New Zealand 3-in-1 Travel Pass, which allows you to use buses, trains and the Interislander Ferry, costs $500 for 10 days of travel. Backpacker Buses are also available for a more unique look at New Zealand. There are several different routes to choose from and prices vary accordingly. The Backpacker Buses also offer discounted rates for hostels.

Where to Stay: In Queenstown, accommodation options include campsites ($12 to $17/tent site for two people), hostels ($14 to $16/person/night), guest houses or bed and breakfasts ($50 to $150 double occupancy/night), hotels and motels ($60 to $180 double occupancy/night).

More Information: Call the New Zealand Tourism Board at 1-800-888-5494.