COMPANY POSITIONAJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand is proud of our position as world leaders in personal challenge and adventure tourism. Recognised as experts in fun and adventure, the culture of the business is one of safety, entertainment, innovation, humour and respect. Our sites are places of personal challenge, achievement, excitement, “kiwiana” and entertainment.
Today the world-renowned AJ Hackett Bungy brand is a New Zealand icon that exemplifies all things “Kiwi”. The Bungy phenomenon acted as a catalyst for the creation of New Zealand’s adventure tourism industry and continues to represent adventure through Bungy Jumping as a core activity, life experience and self development process along with other innovative and complementary adventure based activities.
AJ Hackett Bungy is a sustainable tourism operation in business since 1988. Safety standards created by AJ Hackett Bungy adhered to and independently audited, have long been a benchmark for the industry and have assured the on-going sustainability of adventure activities in New Zealand.
Co-founder of AJ Hackett Bungy, Henry van Asch, accomplished a decade of success in New Zealand adventure tourism with business partner AJ Hackett before founding Bungy New Zealand in 1997. Now a current Director of Bungy New Zealand Ltd, Henry oversees ownership and operation of the Bungy New Zealand Group which includes the iconic New Zealand tourism brand AJ Hackett Bungy, the Original Kawarau Bridge Bungy, Nevis Highwire Bungy, Ledge Bungy, Ledge Sky Swing, Auckland Bungy and Auckland Bridge Climb.
BUNGY DEVELOPMENT
From its inception, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand opted for a continuous improvement strategy, listening to customers and the market and developing products to suit. The company’s philosophy of innovation, excellence and customer satisfaction has seen many additions to the product offering since the Kawarau Bridge opened as the world’s first commercial Bungy in 1988.
The growth of Bungy Jumping numbers lead to the development of Skippers Bungy in late 1998. During the mid 1990’s AJ Hackett Bungy took over consent for the Ledge Bungy site amending the structure to comply with consent parameters and officially opened for commercial operation in 1998.
With increased accessibility and affinity for Bungy, adrenalin junkies wanted a bigger challenge. In response to this the Nevis Highwire Bungy opened in 1999. This Bungy innovation included several international patents and a spectacular, limited access mountain road taking the Bungy phenomenon to whole new level. At 134m, the Nevis Highwire Bungy has welcomed and thrilled over 100,000 Bungy Jumpers.
Consequently the level of fascination regarding Bungy saw the original Kawarau Bungy Bridge site reached more than 300,000 visitors per year. At this point we recognised that the story of Bungy is as much a fascination for visitors as the jump itself. Providing a facility to welcome these visitors was the inspiration for the 1500 sq/m Kawarau Bungy Centre, which now holds pride of place nestled into the side of Kawarau gorge at the gateway to Queenstown.
The Kawarau Bungy Centre serves as both an incredible location for the daring to take up the original challenge of Bungy while also satisfying the curiosity of the 9 in 10 visitors who prefer to keep their feet on the ground. So while Bungy Jumping remains the core element at the Kawarau Bungy Centre the AJ Hackett Bungy has evolved to sit well and truly in the visitor attraction market.
While expanding into the visitor attraction market has been a focus of late, the Group has continued to innovate and diversify within the adventure tourism industry. An example of this is the swing product which began as a small niche activity, an ‘offshoot’ of the group’s core Bungy business. AJ Hackett Bungy has been operating the Ledge Sky Swing since the launch in 2000.
DESTINATION NEVIS
More recently the company focus has been on building individual product identities and growing visitor attraction based products. Now it has reached the next phase in its continuous improvement strategy which is to take adventure tourism to a new level of accessibility.
The Nevis Valley, situated 30 minutes from Queenstown, is primed for the next stage in its evolution as a destination as much as it is an activity. Established in 1999 this rugged and imposing environment is to be expanded to showcase multi-person and multi-activity products.
The Nevis Arc will allow one or two people at a time to swing 80m, or 120m from a bridge suspended over the Doolan’s creek adjacent to the Nevis River. Complementing the existing Nevis Highwire Bungy and catering to spectators and Bungy jumpers looking for an additional adrenalin activity and a high velocity thrill.
Further products in the planning stages include a multi-lane flying fox to enable customers to share in the adventure with their companions. It will be designed to appeal to the adventurous at heart who may be not quite up to the Bungy or Swing challenge.
At the other end of the scale The ‘Black Box’ will be a suspended Bungy platform reached by customer participation in a series of flying foxes. Once customers arrive at the ‘Black Box’, jumpers will complete the 200m-plus Bungy adventure and return to civilisation on a Via Ferrata (Iron Way)-style pathway.
The ‘Black Box’ will push the limits of all Bungy jumpers and reinforces the innovation and passion the Bungy New Zealand group has for Bungy and its position as world leader in this activity. Various components of the adventure ‘sequence’ will be accessible for friends of jumpers who prefer not to jump.
The plans announced by the group form an integral part of a five year strategy. The Bungy New Zealand group will maintain its commitment to grow visitor attractions in tandem with its adventure tourism activities, and these products will be rolled out as the critical mass and market demands. The Bungy New Zealand group is extremely excited about the opportunities these products will offer the New Zealand tourism industry.
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