Tauranga families will rejoice that the city will again have an indoor trampoline park, when a new facility opens in Mount Maunganui on May 23.

SlamJump has been created at Mercury Baypark by Tauranga entrepreneur Cameron Templer, who said the project was driven by a desire to fill a gap in family-friendly entertainment in the city.

“I’m really excited to bring some family entertainment to Tauranga,” he said. “It’s been a long time since there’s been something for kids, particularly those aged eight and over.”

Templer said he estimated it had been roughly four years since the city had a trampoline park open that was aimed at youth aged 8-plus.

“That second Covid-19 lockdown really solidified the market,” Templer said.

“I can also tell you that commercial rents are high, which doesn’t make it easy to run a facility. With SlamJump being at Mercury Baypark, it is run by Bay Venues Ltd, which is a council-controlled organisation – they have been very supportive of us because they want to see this type of facility on offer to youth in the city.”

Templer said the new trampoline adventure park would feature a range of attractions under one roof – including trampolines, a large playground, bouldering walls, giant inflatable slides and a dedicated toddler area. The facility is aimed at children aged 0-15, but parents are encouraged to join in the fun as well.

Templer said the idea had been years in the making, with much of the equipment sourced from his family’s previous business, the Bay Indoor Sports Centre, which operated on Newton St in Mount Maunganui before closing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We packed up all the equipment and put it into storage and have been looking for the right venue ever since,” he said.

“When the Baypark pavilion became available, we jumped at the opportunity.”

Templer said he had taken over ownership of the business and would operate it independently, although his family had been helping with the set-up.

Templer would not disclose the amount it had cost to set up the business.

He said he expected to employ 12 staff to operate SlamJump, which he’d promoted on social media and had seen thousands engage with the announcements and strong early demand for bookings.

“We’ve already got 11 birthday parties booked for opening day, which is pretty incredible,” he said. “There’s clearly a lot of excitement from families who have been missing this kind of activity in Tauranga.”

SlamJump will be open seven days a week, with sessions from 9.30am-3pm weekdays and 9.30am-5pm on weekends, public holidays and during school holidays.

While online bookings were available, Templer said capacity limits would mean entry could not always be guaranteed – particularly during the opening weekend.

“We suggest coming early,” he said. “We’re expecting to hit capacity quickly, so we may need to introduce timed sessions for the opening week to make sure as many people as possible get a chance to experience it.”

Templer said the facility could accommodate up to 220 people at a time and would cater for parties, with bring-your-own food options initially available while work on an on-site cafe was completed.

He was also awaiting a final shipment of equipment and safety gear from overseas ahead of opening day, with tight timeframes adding to the challenge.

Despite the logistical hurdles, Templer said the project was ultimately about giving back to the community.

“This business is for the city,” he said. “I love Tauranga, and this is something I knew the city needed.”

SlamJump’s official opening on May 23 would include a special guest to mark the occasion.