On a breezy Monday afternoon I rocked up at TreeTop Challenge in ThunderBird Park, Mount Tamborine, to experience the largest guided zip-line tour in Australia. Seven (and a half) zip-lines criss-cross Cedar Creek Canyon over a total distance of 1.4km, reaching heights of 60m and speeds of 70kph - to say I was excited was an understatement!
Our guides for the tour were Dale, Tom and Jezack, who kept us entertained throughout the experience with what can only be described as an endless stream of Dad-jokes (maybe the best kind of joke?). The three hour tour started with a safety briefing on proper use of the equipment, as well as different body positions for maximum speed and/or sightseeing - as a heads up, the 'cannonball' will get you to the other side in the fastest time! Our first experience of a zip-line was a short practise slide from the training area to base camp, testing our equipment and body positioning (the half zip-line I mentioned earlier, as it's not included in the seven zip-lines advertised) - bonus!
A beastly 4x4 vehicle took us along the bumpiest path known to man to reach the first of the major zip-lines, the aptly named Zip One. At the beginning of each zip-line Tom and Jezack would give us a brief while Dale waited at the other end to catch us, then we'd take it in turns zooming across the rainforest canopy below us - you don't see views like that everyday!
The first three zip-lines took us back and forth over the canyon, then zips four to seven took us between the trees, with some extra challenges thrown in. Zip Four we went hands-free, Zip Five we flipped upside down, Zip Six we competed for the most spins, and Zip Seven had a 'fast-release' rope which meant we didn't know when we'd be launched into the abyss - both Tom and Jezack revelled in the power of having our lives in their hands!
A short walk brought us back to the reception desk where we awkwardly clambered out of our harnesses, and that was it - we survived! I'd highly recommend this experience for anyone with a sense of adventure, and don't worry if heights aren't your thing, one of the guests suffered from Vertigo but said it didn't bother her at all, so really there's no excuse... Massive thanks to Dale, Jezack and Tom for making the experience truly memorable, and ensuring we were always laughing whilst on the ground (and in the air). Can't wait to try the other Adventure Park in Currumbin!
