| Would you like to book an Air Safari? We
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| | high speeds, before long Shotover Jet was
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| fly over Aoraki Mount Cook and the Fox
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| | taking visitors on breath-taking rides
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| Glacier - it's a wonderful view. Oh you
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| | through the spectacular canyons of
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| would rather jump out? How about the
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| | Shotover River for $75 a pop.Then, in
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| skydive option from 15,000 ft? Too
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| | 1988, AJ Hackett and Henry Van Asch (two
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| straight-forward? How about paragliding,
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| | speed skiers who had been inspired by a
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| or hand-gliding, jet boating or
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| | video documenting the attempts of members
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| whitewater rafting? Or take a aerial ride
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| | of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports
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| in a stunt plane, jump off a bridge on a
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| | Club to copy Vanuatu villagers' ritual of
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| bungy rope or try the Shotover Canyon
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| | jumping off man-made towers attached to
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| Swing?".I am speaking to Diane, a helpful
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| | vines) arrived in Queenstown having spent
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| counter rep at 'The Terminal': A one-stop
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| | two years at the University of Auckland
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| shop for all your adrenaline needs
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| | developing a special bungy cord to bungy
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| nestled in quiet Queenstown. In case you
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| | jump from. Until then, the only other
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| were wondering, the Canyon Swing is 'the
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| | alternative were the vines that the
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| world's highest swing' - launching you
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| | Vanuatu locals used - not too reliable.In
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| from a cliff face into a 200 meter arc,
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| | June the previous year, AJ Hackett had
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| accelerating you to 150kph, and then back
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| | used the cord they had developed for a
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| again. This is one of the more recent
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| | high profile (and highly illegal) bungy
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| inventions in Queenstown, where you have
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| | jump from the Eiffel Tower. Now they were
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| the option of being launched in one of
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| | ready to go commercial, with a plan to
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| ten different methods, from "The
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| | offer jumps from Kawarau Bridge. Despite
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| Cutaway", "Elvis Cutaway" and "Indian
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| | obvious skepticism from locals that
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| Rope Trick" to "Gimp Boy Goes to
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| | people would be willing to pay to jump
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| Hollywood", and where each method is
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| | from a bridge, business boomed. Within a
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| rated from "Scary" (One underpants
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| | year, a second site was launched at
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| rating) to "Very, very, very scary" (Five
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| | Skippers Bridge and since then further
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| underpants rating).After much
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| | sites - each one bigger and better - have
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| deliberation I decide to opt for Asia
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| | continually launched with an estimated
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| Pacific's highest bungy jump, the 440
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| | 350,000 jumpers in Queenstown to date.
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| feet high Nevis Highwire Bungy. Unlike
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| | With each new option, business increased.
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| the original 140 feet Kawarau Bridge
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| | When the Nevis bungy launched in 1999,
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| bungy over Kawarau river, or the 335 feet
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| | demand was so high, the company made back
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| Pipeline bungy over Shotover river, the
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| | its investment of $2M within ten
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| Nevis Bungy isn't attached to a bridge.
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| | months.Adventure tourism took off in
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| Instead, AJ Hackett Bungy invested NZ$2
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| | Queenstown in the 1990s, and year after
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| million in a tailor-made, purpose built,
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| | year the adventure options have grown,
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| fully protected "Jump Pod", dangling by
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| | with visitor numbers reaching 4.8 million
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| high-tension wires over the Nevis Gorge
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| | by 2001 (compared to a resident
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| (and when I say 'fully protected', I
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| | population of 12,000), 5.5 million by
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| don't mean you, I mean the pod - it has
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| | 2005, and a projected 7 million visitors
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| 30 different patents. Presumably so that
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| | by 2010.It seems, then, that I am in good
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| if you find a gorge as deep as Nevis on
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| | company by choosing to bungy jump! After
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| your travels you will think twice before
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| | all, this is what people do in
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| strapping wires to the side and building
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| | Queenstown, right? I hear that up to 100
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| a similar pod to jump out of, for fear of
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| | people each day jump from the Nevis
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| being sued in the event you survive the
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| | Highwire Bungy. A quick calculation
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| fall).I'm here on the invitation of a
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| | reveals that, with off-days, that's maybe
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| great group of New Zealand Entrepreneurs
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| | 20,000 out of the five million Queenstown
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| who have taken time out from their
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| | visitors each year. Only four people in
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| schedule to show me a piece of New
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| | every thousand decide to try it? What
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| Zealand. Greame Fowler is a well-known
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| | about the other nine hundred and
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| property investor, and author of the
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| | ninety-six of them? Before leaving the
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| best-selling book "NZ Real Estate
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| | Terminal with my ticket and T-Shirt, I
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| Investor's Secrets", Kevin Heppleston is
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| | look for reassurance from the others in
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| an award-winning business coach with
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| | the group. I ask them what it's like to
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| Action International, based in
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| | bungy jump. None of them have
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| Wellington, Gill Daldin and Lisa McCarthy
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| | bungy-jumped before. None of them want
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| are both franchise owners of an
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| | to. Ever.The humiliating possibility of
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| Australian appliance rental business, Mr
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| | being the laughing stock of the Jump Pod
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| Rentals. All are making the most of the
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| | suddenly becomes a worse fate than ending
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| fact that, as well as having the highest
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| | up spread all over the canyon floor I ask
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| percent of entrepreneurs of any country
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| | for the release instructions again and
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| in Asia Pacific, New Zealand also has
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| | would have written them down if I could.
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| some of the most stunning spots to take a
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| | But before I know it I am on my feet,
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| break from all that entrepreneurial
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| | hearing the countdown, seeing myself
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| activity.Queenstown, nestled on the
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| | jumping, remembering to scream on the way
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| Southern tip of New Zealand's South
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| | down as per my brother's instructions
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| Island, promotes itself as "The World's
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| | ("It makes the video more dramatic"),
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| Adventure Capital". How did it find this
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| | watching the river accelerate towards me
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| niche? The town grew out of the gold rush
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| | and then reverse back just as
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| at Shotover River in the 1860's.
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| | dramatically, and then triumphantly
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| Surrounded by awe-inspiring mountain, it
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| | releasing myself from the bungy
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| became a summer tourist spot after the
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| | shackles.Lisa's husband, Austin, decides
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| gold was exhausted. It took a century
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| | to jump with me and we hop on the bus.
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| before anyone was attracted to Queenstown
| |
| | Leaving the sedate streets of Queenstown,
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| in the winters, when the Mount Cook Group
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| | we trekked for an hour over sheep country
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| turned Coronet Peak into a ski field in
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| | before reaching the 'cable car' that
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| the 1960's, turning the area into a
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| | would take us out to the jump pod. The
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| year-round destination which in turn
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| | cable car is actually an open metal box
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| attracted more hotels, shops and
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| | with a grill floor, which can squeeze in
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| restaurants.Bill Hamilton, a South Island
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| | six people at most. The long, wobbly
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| country farmer, can be credited for
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| | journey out to the Jump Pod gives us time
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| introducing adventure tourism in the
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| | to reconsider - two of the earlier
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| 1970's. Here's one version of how the
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| | jumpers had already pulled out. I
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| story goes: While trying to invent a high
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| | consider whether I am being brave or
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| powered water pump to drain water from
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| | stupid or both. I decide both and it
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| his land, he created a turbine pump so
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| | makes me feel a little better.Austin goes
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| powerful that when he turned it on:
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| | first. He looks nervous, which makes me
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| instead of water shooting through, the
| |
| | more nervous. It is a very long way down
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| pump dislodged and end up shooting across
| |
| | - a little like jumping off a 60 storey
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| the water. After a little lateral
| |
| | building. After being given instructions
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| thinking, he forgot about the pump idea
| |
| | by the crew, Austin hobbles out to the
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| and built a speed boat around the turbine
| |
| | end of the 'gangplank', 500 feet above
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| instead. The Jet Boat was born. Needing
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| | rock level, and the countdown begins:
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| less than 3cm of water to maneuver in at
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| | "5..4..3..2..
|
