Daredevil French trio entertain visitors on Whangarei Falls tightrope

Visitors at a popular Whangarei tourist attraction were treated to free entertainment by French daredevils walking and slipping off a tightrope 70m above ground.

Three friends from France are prepping for a three-month documentary shoot on highlining to start in December at various locations throughout the country, including Whangarei Falls.

Led by mechanical engineer Louis Schwartz, the group arrived at Whangarei Falls on Sunday and leave tomorrow to scour suitable locations around Northland and later in the South Island.

The three took turns walking across a rope 85m long and about 70m high, much to the delight of visitors at Whangarei Falls yesterday. Mr Schwartz, who took up highlining and slacklining six years ago after watching a documentary on the pursuits, said he had been thinking for two years about doing a project in a foreign land.

"I wanted to go to an English-speaking 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.

He and two others arrived in Auckland 10 days ago and began inquiring with locals about places where they could do highlining.

Mr Schwartz said apart from the documentary, the group also wanted to promote highlining in New Zealand because it was not well-known in this part of the world.

"It's very famous in Europe and in the US but few people know about it here and that's why we are doing it to show people how it's done and also want them to try it."

Five years ago, he went to Chile where he produced a documentary on trickline, which is doing tricks such as jumping on a tightrope suspended about 1m above the ground.

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. People have been asking a lot of questions and some even want to try it."

The group is sponsored by Slack Inov' which sells slackline products.

Maree Emett, a visitor from Sydney who was visiting Whangarei Falls yesterday, said it was the first time she had seen highlining at the venue 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.