Visiting Frenchmen out for a high time
WHANGAREI: Visitors at a popular Whangarei tourist attraction have been treated to free entertainment by three French daredevils walking and slipping off a tightrope 70m above ground.
Three friends from France are preparing for a threemonth documentary shoot on highlining to start in December at various locations around the country, including Whangarei Falls.
Led by mechanical engineer Louis Schwartz, the group arrived at Whangarei Falls on Sunday and leaves today to scour other suitable locations around Northland and, later, in the South Island.
Mr Schwartz, who took up highlining and slacklining six years ago, said he had been thinking for two years about doing a project in a foreign land.
‘‘I wanted to go to an Englishspeaking country where there are a lot of wild and adventurous places like lakes, waterfalls, cliffs, volcanoes and beaches. New Zealand also gives me an opportunity to improve my English.’’
He said the group also wanted to promote highlining in New Zealand, because it was not wellknown in this part of the world.
His colleague Julien Schilling spoke highly about Whangarei Falls as a location for highlining.
‘‘The waterfall is a perfect panoramic view in a beautiful place to do something like this.’’
Australian Maree Emett, who was visiting Whangarei Falls, said it was the first time she had seen highlining at the location despite visiting it a few times.
‘‘[I was] wondering where his pole is, because normally they have a big pole to balance themselves,’’ she said.
Slacklining is the act of walking or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors.
Highlining is slacklining at elevation above the ground or water. — NZME