Tourists will dig this new venture

Invercargill’s newest and perhaps most ambitious tourist attraction, Dig This, officially opened its gates to the public this week.

Described as New Zealand’s first heavy equipment playground, the digger-based theme park has been developed by Transport World throughout the past year.

At the one-hectare site, customers are offered the opportunity to operate bulldozers, skid steers and excavators weighing up to 15 tonnes.

In the various packages on offer, customers can dig holes, stack tyres, and even crush cars.

Transport World director Scott O’Donnell said the new venture offered a unique experience for visitors.

‘‘It’s about bringing something a bit different. Where else in New Zealand do you have the opportunity to operate large-scale machinery?

‘‘We want Invercargill to be a place with attractions, not just a place where people drive through.’’

O’Donnell said the first challenge was to get the word out to people.

‘‘It’s something where you actually have to go out and experience it. There’s probably a bit of apprehension for some people, because they don’t think they know what to do – but that’s our job to teach them. It’s a very safe environment.’’

Instructors – communicating through headsets – are on hand to give advice to customers as they drive, and are also able to activate a kill switch on the vehicles if anything starts to go wrong.

Dig This founder Ed Mumm was there for the opening day, having made the trip from the United States to oversee the new operation.

Originally from Dunedin, Mumm developed the concept in Colorado before setting up franchises in Las Vegas and Dallas. He said the setup in Invercargill was ‘‘almost exactly the same’’ as in Las Vegas.

‘‘In Las Vegas, we have people travelling from all over the country to come and have this experience.

‘‘What we’re doing is taking a tool and going back and making it into a toy again.’’

From his own experience of the franchise, Mumm said Dig This had a much broader appeal than people might expect.

‘‘Originally, I thought it would mainly appeal to men, but when these guys first booked in, all their wives wanted to have a go as well.

‘‘In Las Vegas about 50 per cent of all our customers are female now.’’

Body found on beach

A body was discovered by a member of the public at Piha Beach, west of Auckland, about 7am on Wednesday. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and the matter had been referred to the coroner.

DHB chief resigns

Waikato District Health Board chief executive Nigel Murray has quit. His resignation was announced at a closed-door board meeting yesterday and follows a 21⁄ month investigation into allegations of unauthorised spending. Investigators found Murray overspent on agreed relocation costs during his shift from Canada in 2014 as well as other unauthorised expenses. Board members accepted Murray’s resignation on the basis he repays the funds owed.

Bus driver stabbed

A bus driver is in a serious condition and two people have been arrested following a stabbing in Manurewa, South Auckland. Police were called to the incident about 5.45pm on Wednesday. A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said the man had serious injuries to his stomach and neck. ’’Some quick work by police staff at the scene helped prevent the injuries becoming more serious,’’ a police spokeswoman said. A 15-yearold and a 20-year-old were arrested at a nearby address.

Air force joins search

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion aircraft has been called in to help find a Tongan fisherman missing for two days in rough seas. The plane left Auckland’s Whenuapai air base yesterday morning and was expected to reach the search area about midday. The fisherman had not been seen since he left Tonga’s Mo’unga’one island in a six-metre fibreglass boat about 5am on Tuesday. He had a mobile phone but no other communications or safety equipment according to NZDF Group Captain Nick Olney, the acting air component commander.