For AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand (AJHBNZ), those leaps have always meant more than just a thrill. For nearly 40 years, the company has helped people face fear, and that same spirit of courage and transformation now underpins its approach to supporting communities and contributing to environmental restoration across Aotearoa.
Conservation at the Core
Environmental care has become an increasingly important part of the AJHBNZ story. Across its sites, the company now supports native planting and predator trapping initiatives, alongside a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 through ongoing work to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, as tourism slowed, the AJHBNZ team turned its focus to hands-on conservation. What began as a workshop project building predator traps quickly evolved into large-scale planting efforts across sites like Tucker Beach Reserve and the Lower Shotover Bike Trail.
This momentum led to the creation of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary (SLS) in 2021, a multi-partner initiative dedicated to restoring biodiversity across the region. Today, AJHBNZ continues to support the work through office space, operational support, and an annual contribution of $100,000.
In a milestone moment, February 2025 saw the return of takahē to the Rees Valley, absent for centuries, marking a significant step forward in restoring the region’s ecological balance.
The company’s environmental work also extends to the Nevis Valley, where a small on-site native plant nursery has grown into a meaningful community initiative. What began during covid as a personal project by a long-standing crew member has since produced more than 5,000 native plants, donated to local schools and community projects.
Beyond restoration, the nursery has become a way to connect young people with the land, encouraging future generations to care for the environment they call home.
Deep-Rooted Community Connections
AJHBNZ’s commitment to community is grounded in the same belief that sits at the heart of every jump, that growth happens when people are given the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone.
Building Resilience Through The Leap Within
Central to AJ Hackett Bungy NZ’s community impact is The Leap Within, an evidence-based resilience programme delivered in partnership with the van Asch Foundation, with AJ Hackett Bungy NZ as the principal partner.
Grounded in nearly 40 years of helping people step beyond fear through adventure experiences, the programme was developed alongside leading wellbeing experts, including the late Nigel Latta, Dr Lucy Hone, and Dr Natalie Flynn. Combining evidence-based psychology with real-world challenge experiences, the programme helps young people, leaders, and teams build resilience, self-belief, and confidence.
The classroom sessions form the core of the programme, equipping participants with practical tools for resilient thinking, before leading into an optional bungy experience. Whether participants choose to jump or not, the experience provides a supported opportunity to confront fear and build confidence.
A corporate version of the programme has also been developed, creating a regenerative business tourism model where leadership and wellbeing experiences help fund and expand access for young people across the country.
For AJ Hackett Bungy NZ, it’s a natural extension of what it has always done, using the power of Bungy to help people grow beyond the moment of the jump.
Supporting Local Communities
Alongside The Leap Within, AJHBNZ continues to support a range of grassroots initiatives that help strengthen local communities.
The company is a Platinum Partner of Wakatipu High School, supporting programmes that help rangatahi build confidence, resilience, and leadership. This includes long-standing support of both the Greenstone Camp, a three-day outdoor experience set at the head of Lake Whakatipu, and Branches Camp, one of New Zealand’s longest-running school camps. Together, these experiences challenge students both physically and mentally, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones, build resilience, and develop a strong sense of responsibility, respect, and inclusion.
AJ Hackett Bungy NZ also supports the Whakatipu Youth Trust through financial contributions and donated experiences, helping young people access opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. Across the regions it operates in, the company regularly provides experience vouchers to support local fundraisers and community initiatives, helping schools, clubs, and organisations unlock additional funding and create meaningful opportunities for those they support.
Partnerships with organisations such as Blue Light and YouthTown further extend this impact, supporting at-risk youth to build confidence, find direction, and engage positively in their communities.
RISER
More recently, the RISER Athlete Programme was launched in 2024 to support young Kiwi athletes with big dreams but limited resources.
Designed as more than just a sponsorship, RISER backs athletes in the early stages of their journey, providing not only financial support for race fees, travel, and accommodation, but also coaching in mental resilience and media skills.
Recognising that a bungy jump often represents a personal breakthrough, the programme is built to give talented athletes that same sense of lift-off, both in sport and in life.
Since its launch, eight up-and-coming athletes across snow sports and mountain biking have joined the programme, helping them navigate the early stages of their careers with greater confidence, capability, and support.
More Than a Jump
For many, a bungy jump isn’t just about adrenaline. It is a moment of courage, a push through fear, or a turning point in how someone sees themselves.
For AJHBNZ, that same spirit drives everything the company does, from restoring natural environments to backing the next generation. It also shapes how the company continues to evolve its experiences, creating new ways for people to challenge themselves, whether it is their first leap or the next step in their journey.
Because in the end, it is never just about the jump. It is about what happens after it.