I got a slackline for Christmas a few years ago. After the classic Aussie Chrissy lunch, my sisters and I headed out to the front lawn to set it up. I remember grabbing hold of each of my sister’s shoulders as I wobbled on the line.

The slackline stayed set up for weeks after the 25th; conveniently it served as a barrier between the car parks and the house, which resulted in a lot of tripping. In those weeks, the most progress I made was around five steps before I’d bounce off the line and land on the prickly needles of the pine tree that guards our yard.