Archives for June 2018

BUNGY KING

A.J. Hacket is credited with creating New Zealand’s adventure tourism industry.

In the 1980s a group of Oxford University students formed the Dangerous Sports Club with one of their most popular pastimes being jumping off bridges with a rope tied to their ankles. Kiwi lad, Alan John Hackett, a born risk taker, liked the idea and tried it himself by jumping into water from a 20metre high cliff near his Auckland home. He liked the adrenaline rush so in 1986 he asked  a friend to film him jumping off Auckland’s Greenhithe Bridge. This was followed by a 30metre jump off a bridge in Hamilton then wanting an even higher fall and some publicity, he made a 40metre jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The resulting publicity finally drew his offbeat activity to the public’s attention. read more