On Friday (12 November) 300 local school children will take to the heights of Queenstown’s historic Kawarau Bridge to help celebrate 22 years since AJ Hackett Bungy first opened this iconic New Zealand attraction.
Students from Queenstown Primary, Wakatipu High School, St Joseph’s School and Cromwell’s Dunstan Primary will be joined by teachers, spectators and bungy employees on the 43-metre high bridge to commemorate this adventure tourism milestone.
AJ Hackett Bungy provides free transport to the bridge for a day of fun-filled activities offering selected children from each school the opportunity to take the plunge for the first time.
Pupils from each school also get to choose one teacher to ‘toss’ off the bridge, and watch crazy display jumps performed by bungy staff.
There will be a free BBQ and ice blocks onsite, to maintain energy and enthusiasm for the young jumpers, aged from 10 to 13. Each child will also go home with an AJ Hackett Bungy gift to ensure they remember their experience.
Bungy New Zealand CEO Michelle Trapski said the company was thrilled to invite the school children out to celebrate its birthday.
“It’s about getting the next generation of bungy jumpers excited, so they’re proud of what their local community has to offer,” she said.
“It all starts in primary school, then by Year 13 they’re prepared for their ‘Rite of Passage,’ an annual event sponsored by AJ Hackett Bungy, when all Year 13 students are given the opportunity to bungy jump off the Kawarau Bridge Bungy on Labour Day, marking the end of their school days in Queenstown.”
The historic Kawarau Bridge is home to the original commercial bungy jump and was first opened in 1988 by co-founders AJ Hackett and Henry Van Asch.
“Bungy is an iconic activity in the New Zealand tourism industry and we look forward to continuing to challenge and motivate people for many more years to come,” said Ms Trapski.
AJ Hackett Bungy Ltd is currently a finalist in the Westpac Queenstown Chamber of Commerce business awards in the large business category.
