Lock N Load Paintball

Lock N Load Paintball (also styled Lock'n'Load Paintball) was a commercial paintball facility located at 46 Nixon Road, near Auckland Airport in Māngere, Auckland, New Zealand. Established in 2011, the venue combined themed recreational paintball fields with facilities for competitive speedball.[1][2]

The business was subsequently renamed Lock n Load Adventures, expanding into other outdoor recreational activities before closing its Nixon Road operation on 16 December 2019.[3]

History

Establishment

Lock N Load Paintball was developed in 2011 on land within the Auckland Airport business district, beside JK's World of Golf driving range.

On 28 April 2011, Auckland Airport announced that construction of a new paintball facility was under way, with an anticipated opening in August. The proposed park included ten themed scenario fields and dedicated speedball facilities.[1]

The development was promoted as an additional recreational attraction for airport visitors, local businesses and community groups.

On 28 October 2011, Auckland Airport confirmed that Lock N Load was operating, advertising nine completed playing fields.[2]

The facility's establishment was also recorded in a contemporary business directory, which identifies 2011 as its opening year.[4]

Early operation

Lock N Load catered to recreational customers and experienced paintball players.

The venue included constructed scenario fields, natural terrain and speedball facilities. It also provided rental markers, compressed-air filling and areas for organised group activities.

An entry in the WARPIG international paintball field directory, dated 19 April 2012, listed Lock N Load at 46 Nixon Road.[5]

The listing recorded facilities including wooded and themed fields, semi-automatic rental markers, carbon dioxide and 3,000 psi compressed-air filling, sheltered staging areas, permanent toilets and parking.

Rebranding

During the 2010s, Lock N Load expanded its recreational activities beyond conventional paintball.

The business adopted the name Lock n Load Adventures, introducing activities including archery, arrow tag, combat laser tag and low-impact paintball.

A historical business description explicitly identifies Lock n Load Adventures as the renamed Lock N Load Paintball operation.[6]

The new branding was in use by 2018, with advertising continuing to promote the venue's nine themed paintball fields.[7]

Closure

Lock n Load Adventures announced that its Nixon Road operation would close on 16 December 2019.

In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the business attributed the closure to Auckland Airport requiring the land occupied by the venue.[3]

Contemporary airport development records also document the expansion of vehicle parking facilities along Nixon Road during 2019.[8]

The closure ended the venue's operations at the airport site. No subsequent relocation or reopening under the same business has been established.

Playing facilities

Lock N Load was developed around a combination of constructed scenario environments and dedicated tournament playing areas.

The completed venue advertised nine playing fields, incorporating military, science-fiction, Western and urban themes.[2]

Fields documented in historical promotional material included:

Deadwood: A Western-themed town.
Dawn of the Dead: A graveyard-themed playing area.
Mad Max: An urban wasteland environment.
D-Day Landing: A field inspired by the Normandy landings.
Area 51: A science-fiction field incorporating a UFO crash-site theme.
Rambo's End and Platoon: Natural bush playing areas.

The venue also offered speedball facilities for competitive players and teams.[9]

Competitive paintball

Competitive speedball was part of Lock N Load's original development plan.

Both Auckland Airport's April 2011 construction announcement and its October 2011 opening announcement explicitly identified speedball as an activity offered at the venue.[1][2]

These facilities provided Auckland tournament players with an additional location for organised training and competition.

The venue was associated with the early development of the South Auckland Paintball Club, whose subsequent tournament activities were held at Asylum Paintball in Karaka.

Lock N Load and Asylum Paintball were separate commercial facilities. The available records do not establish an ownership or corporate succession relationship between them.

References

External links