Adventure by association at a price

VICARIOUS THRILL: Chuck Berry base jumps near Queenstown. An adventure company is hoping people will pay to watch him jump.

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Would you pay up to $3750 to watch someone else throw themselves off a cliff?

Queenstown tourism company Pure Adventures are betting on rich thrillseekers-by-association with its new tour allowing clients to watch extreme sportsman Chuck Berry base jump 300m.

The move bypasses the sky-divers and bungy-jumpers, who flock to the reputed adventure capital of the world, and targets the spectators watching from the sideline with wide-eyed fascination.

Pure Adventures are offering to fly clients to Earnslaw Burn, north of Glenorchy, where, from the hovering safety of helicopter, they can watch Berry throw himself off a cliff .

Afterward clients can join Berry on the ground for a picnic and chat about how terrifying the whole experience was.

Company owner Steve Robertson said for every person who threw themselves off a bridge attached to a big elastic band they was someone else who got a kick out of just watching.

"A lot of people won't jump but find it fascinating watching what motivates other people to jump," he said. "In the back of their mind they are thinking, `they are mad."'

Robertson said watching Berry base jump took that fascination to its limit.

"It's really something to watch him do it live, it leaves you shaking."

But how many people would be willing to fork out thousands to watch someone else do something scary?

"It won't be for every occasion but there are people out there that this type of experience will apply to."

Pure Adventures also offers adventure tours, from four-wheel driving to heli-hikes, for the high end of the market.

Robertson admits the Berry jump offer will be one of the company's pricey day tours but is confident he will get the clientele. "We are looking at people that have a good discretionary budget."

The tour will run when and if it is booked. Pure Adventures already has some interest from inbound operators.

- © Fairfax NZ News