School opens confidence trail

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai at the official opening of the Fitness Trail at Whangarei Intermediate. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Whangarei Intermediate students can climb, hang, balance and pull their way to fitness thanks to a new $92,000 confidence course.

The course has features such as gym rings, ropes and a 3.6m tall climbing wall, and is to be used predominantly in physical education classes, according to project manager and treasurer of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Pauline Sowry.

"It is to make them get out there and test themselves. It is a challenge - it is not a swing set or a playground."

The 12m by 31m course - dubbed the 'fit trail' - is designed specifically to develop upper body strength, balance and coordination in children aged 10 to 13, she said.

Whangarei mayor Sheryl Mai officially opened the course after the PTA and students spent three years fundraising for the $92,000 through events such as spell-a-thons, math-a-thons and raffles, from grants such as Pub Charities and Oxford Trust, as well as support from local businesses.

"The fit trail looks incredibly challenging and a great facility for the children at Whangarei Intermediate," Ms Mai said.

"It really has been a community effort and is a credit to the people who have worked so hard to fundraise for it ... "

Ms Sowry, a former Whangarei Intermediate pupil and a parent of a Year 7 student, said the kids were "holding the [barrier] ropes and drooling over it" prior to Monday's opening. It was open for action from Tuesday.

Made by Drury-based company Playground People Ltd, the 'InterChallenge Compact Confidence Course' is made from galvanised steel and aluminium, on a type of bark made specifically for playgrounds called 'cushion-fall'.

The climbing wall is made from transparent steel mesh, making it graffiti-proof, fire-proof, rust-proof, as well as allowing full visibility, she said.

Safety measures include allowing only three children on each 'event' at any one time.