Mayor of New Zealand celebrates lifting of lockdown with bungee jumping

SOurce travel needs help
SOurce travel needs help

After days of lockdown, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the country will slowly reopen from 14th May with businesses permitted to reopen across the country. To celebrate the announcement, the mayor of a city went bungee jumping.

The people of New Zealand are now allowed to visit retail stores, malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, and public spaces, including playgrounds and gyms.

Taking a plunge above the picturesque Kawarau River, mayor of Queenstown Lakes District Jim Boult’s early morning jump was the first at the Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre. It was the first since the seven-week lockdown and signaled the re-opening of the town’s tourism industry.

He said: “I’m delighted to be able to mark the reopening of this facility, even if it means jumping off a bridge first thing in the morning,” he also added that this wasn’t his first experience of the adventure sport.

Saying that Queenstown is the country’s premier tourist destination, Boult stressed that in a post-Covid-19 world focussing on domestic tourism would bring a much-needed boost to the local economy that would benefit thousands of locals.

Mayor Boult leapt into Level Two this morning out at the AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand over the Kawarau River.“I’m delighted to be able to mark the reopening of this facility, even if it means jumping off a bridge first thing in the morning,” Mayor Boult said, noting that this wasn’t his first time taking the bungy leap.“But seriously, it’s wonderful to see so many businesses in our area opening back up. Though these are tough times for all businesses across the district, we’re embracing Alert Level 2 and the cautious reopening that it is allowing. We are still the country’s premier visitor destination, with a recent poll showing Queenstown as the number one tourist destination for New Zealanders, closely followed by Wānaka at number five. That enthusiasm for local travel will bring a much-needed boost to our local economy and the thousands of locals that will benefit from the return to work this will deliver. I look forward to welcoming visitors to our district from across the country.”

Geplaatst door Queenstown Lakes District Council op Woensdag 13 mei 2020

 “I look forward to welcoming visitors to our district from across the country,” he said.

The Prime Minister of the country also said that there are few measures and guidelines that the country will take as they head for the “new normal” with social distancing in place. Social gatherings should be kept small for now – 10 people or less, she said.

People in New Zealand celebrated the lockdown being lifted on social media and #Level2 trended.

Check out how people celebrated it:  

https://twitter.com/JessTimings/status/1260841430412492804
https://twitter.com/katiescotcher/status/1260739102573395970

Schools and bars will also be reopened later in May. Ardern said the changes will be reviewed in two weeks.