There is an infamous image of then-London mayor (later turned tragic PM) Boris Johnson dangling from a zipline over that UK city in 2012 when the Olympics came to town.
You know the one. When you see it, you can't help but imagine that famous image of a now long-dead cat in Victor Baldwin's 1971 poster aptly titled 'Hang in there, baby'. There's Boris, all bound up and waving his infantile Union Jacks, desperately trying to play down the fact that he was stuck, nevertheless insisting in his obvious stuckness that the contraption was "very well organised" before meekly suggesting that "someone get me a ladder". Hang in there, baby, indeed.
As PR stunts go, that one was a doozy. It should be a lesson for anyone in public life - and their media handlers - that the boss should brave the silly helmet at their peril.
If showbiz has the rule about never working with kids and animals, the sight of Boris 'hanging in there, baby', in defiance of gravity (and dignity), must surely inspire a similarly cautionary tale for political types tempted by high-flying acrobatics in the name of making the news cycle.
Boris' infamous moment suspended above Victoria Park like some kind of great supine protoplasmic invertebrate jelly wrapped up in a salami twine (to borrow a viscerally vivid image) quickly became the immortally meme-able moment in a career otherwise lousy with meme-able moments.
You'd be forgiven for thinking you might never see another public official ziplining anywhere in sensible business shoes. But fear not, for one MP bravely shunned such absurd precautions this week and threw caution to the wind at Lake Macquarie.
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi's website describes him as "a champion for the community," and, political spin aside, we're happy to give him that title after the five-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist didn't bat an eye as he was strapped into the CRU Lake Mac Camp and Conference Centre's new 147-metre dual zipline, which connects two climbing towers - the first of its kind in the Hunter - on the shores of Lake Macquarie.
After posing for the standard press photo of a shooting gallery of officials (you've surely seen it before: a nice straight single file line in front of this week's headline-getter, kind smiles all around, and gentlemen forget every use you've ever had for your hands and clasp them together desperately on your belt buckles like they're about to fly off your wrists if you don't immediately pin them down), Mr Repacholi christened the new zipline with a leap of PR faith that, unlike Boris, appears to have gone swingingly.
The MP went for a swing, the photo was taken, no one got stuck, and everything went to plan. And a sigh of relief was breathed by all.
The addition of a second climbing tower and the zipline, which was finished in January, adds to a three-stage master plan for which the Feds have pitched just shy of $380,000.
The project aims to turn the Lake Mac Centre into a more-than-300-bed community hub that "meets contemporary camping and conferencing needs for multiple groups at any one time."
Stage one was finished in June 2020, including the first climbing tower near the entrance to the site.
Mr Repacholi cut the ribbon to officially open the second climbing tower and zipline at CRU Lake Mac on Tuesday, June 18.
"The addition of a second climbing tower with dual zipline at CRU's Lake Mac Camps and Conference Centre is a thrilling leap forward in our site's evolution," CRU boss Garry Hill boasted in a statement.
CRU - which, incidentally, stands for Crusader Union of Australia - is a non-profit Christian youth ministry outfit that runs student holiday, study, and educational camps, conferences, youth groups, and church retreats.
The organisation, chaired by anti-slavery outfit International Justice Mission Australia CEO David Braga, teaches that the Bible is "infallible, and is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct", according to its website, and advocates strict adherence to its doctrines.
"We should act in a way which is consistent with what the Bible teaches: doing those things which it describes as right, and not advocating or practising those things which the Bible describes as sinful. This includes things like dishonesty, greed, sexual relationships outside a marriage between a man and a woman, drunkenness and foul language," it says under its basis of belief.
In a statement this week, Mr Hill said the refurbished Lake Mac Camp and Conference Centre was "about providing a unique and fun space where young people can explore the claims of the Christian faith and find acceptance in the community."
"We are very thankful for the funding the Federal government and other generous supporters provided towards this project and look forward to continuing to serve the local community and inspire the next generation."
