Nevis Arc swings into action
18 Nov 2008
The Nevis Arc New Zealand's latest extreme adventure activity, said to be the world's highest swing, has been launched by bungy jumping pioneers, AJ Hackett Bungy.
In the same week that the company celebrated 20 years of commercial bungy in New Zealand, the thrill seeking specialists sent their first Nevis Arc customer flying across a 120m gorge - suspended 134m above ground - near New Zealand's adventure capital, Queenstown.
125km/h flying trapeze
Scotsman Paul Officer reached speeds of up to 125km/h as he became the first paying customer on the Nevis Arc. He pronounced the ride "exhilarating" and immediately did it again.
Within the hour, he'd also bungy-jumped from the world famous Nevis Highwire bungy which is adjacent to the Nevis Arc. Both activities sit high above the dramatic Doolan's Creek Gorge, and the new 'flying trapeze' spans the rugged Horn and Carrick mountain ranges in Central Otago.
Innovative engineering
The Nevis Arc ride is accessed from a 70m-long walkway and launch pad.
Construction involved pouring 150 tonnes of concrete into anchor blocks on either side of the gorge from which four 550m-long cables have been suspended to hold the walkway and launch pad.
AJ Hackett Bungy co-founder Henry van Asch, present for the launch of the NZ$3.5 million project, said: "We've had the vision for the Nevis Arc for years, and our customers have told us they wanted another activity in this stunning area, so it's absolutely fantastic to see it finally open."
Fear factor
People can choose their own fear factor (80m or 120m), and whether they want to swing forwards, backwards, alone or with a friend. Then they're flung out over the valley in a massive arc with a six-and-a-half second acceleration towards rock faces, reaching speeds of 125kmh or more.
First customers for day one of the Nevis Arc experience came from Scotland, England, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, Denmark and Germany.
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