Kids, and adults, can have a go at operating this 12tonne Komatsu digger during the school holidays.
Kids, and adults, can have a go at operating this 12tonne Komatsu digger during the school holidays.
A new attraction in Taranaki is the stuff children’s dreams are made of, says Stan Chesswas, owner and operator of Chessco Digger Park in Stratford.
“What kid doesn’t want to sit in the cab of a full-size digger and get to control it?”
At Chessco Digger Park children - and adults - can do exactly that, with a range of diggers available for people to have a go at driving.
“The idea is for people to be able to learn something, to try something new, and of course, have fun.”
Stan says while the park is due to be officially opened in early October, with National candidate for Whanganui Carl Bates booked in for the formal ribbon cutting, “sneaky dig” sessions are planned for the school holidays.
“We want to make sure the park is nice and muddy by the time the people in suits come to the formal opening. We thought the school holidays were the perfect time for kids to try out something a bit different to the usual holiday fun.”
The sneaky dig sessions will run through the holidays from Thursday, September 28, and booking is recommended, to ensure families get the exact time slot they want, says Rachel Johnson, Chessco Digger Park administration manager and who Stan calls “camp mother”.
“We have 20-minute sessions available for booking. The 20 minutes can be for one person, or shared between a group of up to four people. The price remains the same, it’s $50 for the 20 minutes. We have done it this way to make sure holiday fun can be affordable - a group of four could share it, paying just $12.50 each and each getting five minutes having a go, and the rest of the time enjoying watching their friends try it out.”
Visitors to the digger park may also get to meet a friendly dog, says Rachel.
“Kairo is the mascot for the RATS [Riders against Teen Suicide) who we donate to monthly, and Kairo is often hanging out with us here. After all, what dog doesn’t like digging!”
Kairo is the friendly mascot for RATS (Riders Against Teen Suicide) and is often at the digger park.
Stan says the 20-minute sessions are preceded by a 10-minute safety briefing and introduction to the controls.
“The supervisor also has a control in their hand the whole time which enables them to stop the hydraulics on the digger if needed.”
Stan says opening the park was “the last thing left on his bucket list”, and having spent years working with construction machinery, and training others to use it, he knew it was something suited to his skills and experience.
“I am also a training assessor for construction machinery and have written health and safety books in the industry as well as having various diplomas in health and safety in the workplace. The digger park might seem like a bit of fun, but I know from experience how people learn, and whether it is kids or adults, we learn by doing and we take things in as we watch too.”
As well as the sneaky digs, the park will offer an operator course, offering a certificate of competence in digger use, which Rachel says is useful for anyone looking to work in the construction industry, quarries or other trades.
“I worked in a quarry for three years and started out driving dump trucks, the loaders, before I progressed on to diggers. They are the last machine you work on as they are hard to learn, but it’s a skill that then stays with you.”
Rachel says the construction industry is a great career choice for men and women, and she thinks the Chessco Digger Park will give people a taste for it.
“With Christmas coming up, a voucher for the digger competency course could be a great gift for a teenager looking for what they will do after school, or for someone looking for a career change this gives them the chance to see if digger driving is for them.”
Businesses can also book sneaky dig sessions for a team building a little bit different to the usual golf or bowling, says Stan.
“We are happy to chat with anyone who has an idea of how their group could enjoy a sneaky dig session or two. Schools planning activity days could make a great day of it in Stratford, visiting the pools, the bike park or the movies and then the digger park to top it all off.”
