Hilltop School had a fantastic morning celebrating the Wednesday Challenge this week.
Students came along in mufti and found all sorts of fun ways to get to school — walking, biking, scooting, skating, and even some arriving on horseback.
The Wednesday Challenge encourages tamariki and whānau to choose healthier, more environmentally friendly ways to travel.
It’s a great way to have fun, stay active and make a positive difference, says the school.
The activation saw 582 students arriving in various house groups through the school gate.
Three girls arrived by horse, something they will never forget, and one mum came prepared with a pooper scooper. Children were able to wear mufti for the day.
“The vibe was electric,” says Sarah Wraight road safety coordinator.
“Everyone including teachers and parents had huge smiles on their faces. What’s not to love arriving to school by bike, horse, roller blades, scooter or on foot, great for the environment, great for student health and less congestion at the school gate.
“I hope this inspires other schools in Taupō to take part in the Wednesday challenge in 2027.”
The initiative on Wednesday was supported by Lake FM, Wraight and the Road Safety team at Taupō Council.
When Hilltop School started the Wednesday Challenge it recorded 35 per cent of students travelling to school by sustainable modes, and 65 per cent by single-household car (55 per cent to the school gate, 10 per cent Park & Stride).
Today, 62 per cent travel by sustainable modes and 38 per cent by car (17 per cent to the school gate, 21 per cent Park & Stride).
Background
With 172 businesses, 66 schools, over 34,000 participants and now expansion into Australia, the Wednesday and Weekday Challenges are helping communities rethink the way they travel.
What began as a simple idea to encourage people to leave their cars at home and choose a better mode of transport, for their health and wellbeing and the environment, has grown into an increasingly valuable transport behaviour-change programme, engaging businesses, schools and communities across New Zealand, and across the Tasman
Such is the success of the initiative, now in its fifth year, that organisers are celebrating a major milestone, with one million journeys now logged through the Wednesday and Weekday Challenges this year. The initiative is demonstrating that small changes in everyday travel habits can add up to meaningful results.
Co-director and founder, Heidi Hughes, says beyond the numbers, the real value lies in changing attitudes and encouraging people to discover new ways of getting around, providing a practical solution for cities and towns grappling with increasing transport demands, congestion and the need for more sustainable travel options.
“The challenges are providing councils with a practical way to engage their communities in positive transport behaviour change,” says Hughes. “Rather than simply telling people to drive less, the programme encourages them to try something different, making the experience engaging, achievable and rewarding.”
The Challenges encourage people to walk, cycle, run, catch public transport, scooter or carpool. Participants log their journeys through an interactive platform, with the collective results providing measurable insights into travel behaviour, environmental benefits and physical activity.
The programme offers two bespoke programmes for business and schools, as the Weekday Challenge and Wednesday Challenge and is currently running in Whangārei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō, Palmerston North, Tairāwhiti and Queenstown.
