Helping kids to ‘live more’ in local wilderness

More than 250 year 9 Wakatipu High students faced and overcame their fears at the school’s renowned Greenstone Camp recently.

The entire year group ventured out for several three-day excursions at Greenstone Station, at the top of the lake over a total of 12 days this month.

Grouped in their houses, the students shared new experiences, established friendships, faced challenges and created memories while undertaking a range of activities immersed in nature.

To ensure the camp is accessible to all local families, the school relies on funding from local businesses and organisations, keeping costs to a minimum.

A long-term supporter of the camp is AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand (AJHBNZ), which has donated $5000 towards the camp every year since 2018.

“Supporting Wakatipu High’s Greenstone Camp is an excellent alignment for AJ Hackett Bungy NZ,” CEO David Mitchell explains.

“This camp truly embodies our ‘live more, fear less’ mentality and as a local business, we feel strongly that every local youth should be able to experience pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and feeling the thrill of accomplishment afterwards. We are proud to support Wakatipu High to ensure they can keep delivering this experience for their students.”

WHS principal Oded Nathan says financial support from businesses and organisations, including AJHBNZ, the Wakatipu High School Foundation, Les Hutchins Conservation Foundation, Uncle Jack, Skyline Queenstown and the Graeme Dingle Foundation, allows the Greenstone Camp to take place, despite the pressure of rising costs.

"AJ Hackett Bungy NZ’s support of the Year 9 Greenstone Camp has ensured barrier-free access to our amazing outdoor education experiences, which is a fundamental part of WHS delivering on its vision of Aotearoa New Zealand's best all-round education. It allows us to keep the rising costs of running the camp to a minimum for families, while still providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all students.”