How would you like to be propelled 150 meters up and out across a ravine and dropped toward the valley floor and reach speeds of nearly 100 kilometers per hour in 1.5 second? Sounds intensely exciting?
Thrill-seekers can experience this at the recently launched—quite literally—Nevis Catapult in Queenstown, New Zealand, brought by bungee jumping pioneer AJ Hackett New Zealand.
It took AJ Hackett founder Henry van Asch three decades of planning and development before officially opening his latest extreme adventure attraction.
“It’s a pretty unique feeling, surprising even. There’s nothing else quite like it,” says van Asch.
Housed in a pod and between a series of cables, alongside the famous Nevis Swing, the Catapult is a unique combination of height, flight, and speed using a bespoke high-speed winch system developed over years of research.
Special new technology for the multi-million-dollar Catapult was developed with the company’s research team before being built in an accredited testing facility in Christchurch and then brought to site for full scale installation, testing, and commissioning.
Testing has been conducted out-of-sight over the past nine months—beginning with weighted barrels, before moving on to a test dummy phase, and finally human testing.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive Stephen England-Hall believes “the Nevis Catapult will inspire thrill-seekers from all over the world to come to Queenstown to push their limits further than they have ever been able to.”
To take on this extreme ride, one must be at least 13 years old and weigh at least 27 kilograms. One-time leap costs NZ$255 (P9,000+).
Go to www.bungy.co.nz to know more.