When Mike and Kristy Robinson decided to take a vacation from their family’s real estate business (A Texas Star Real Estate, in Wimberley) in December of 2006, they paid a visit to the tropical Central American country of Belize. One of the highlights of their trip was a ride on a zipline, which offered a dramatic view of the rainforest. “It was so much fun, we decided we wanted one here,” Mike says.

       They got together with Jim and Cheryl Turner, friends from church who had similar interests. Both men had considerable construction experience; Jim is an engineer, and is in the homebuilding business in Wimberley. The partners leased 30 spectacular acres from the Winn family’s “Four Winns” ranch just south of Wimberley, and set out to build the best zipline in Texas. They consulted with expert Joel Cryer, from Austin, did a whole lot of research, and built the zipline themselves to very exacting standards. Being very safety-conscious, they made sure it could easily handle many times the weight that it will ever carry.

       Not knowing exactly how things would go, the partners held a “soft opening” March 1, 2008, hoping to get some experience before the crowds arrived. One of the first riders was a reporter from the Austin American-Statesman, who put a page-and-a-half story in the paper during Spring Break. That was the end of the“soft opening,” but things have gone very well for the new attraction. “We’ve already had thousands of riders,” Robinson says. “We have been very, very blessed.”

       You can learn more about Wimberley Zipline Adventures by calling 512-847-9990 or by visiting www.wimberleyzipline.com. The zipline is every bit as much fun as you’d hope for, but not as scary as you might expect. And the Hill County views are fantastic!

By John Hallowell

John Hallowell is the past editor of several Hill Country publications. He has been exploring the Texas Hill Country for almost 20 years.