On Thursday 19 March 2026, the cohort of international students were taken up Auckland’s Sky Tower, into the All-Blacks Experience and Wētā Workshop to highlight New Zealand’s culture and creativity. The following is a student’s reflection of the day:
During the Sky Tower experience, the students were astounded by the beautiful scenery of Auckland, especially those who were visiting New Zealand for the first time. They absolutely loved and enjoyed it. Viewing Auckland’s many suburbs from the top of the Sky Tower was special – the sun was shining and provided a beautiful backdrop.
After the Sky Tower, the group split into two. One group went to the All-Blacks Experience, held within the Sky City complex and the other group went to Wētā Workshop Unleashed.
Most of the students picked the All-Blacks Experience as their favourite activity of the day as it was such a nice chance to show and deliver the true essences of the All-Blacks team. Students were able to experience who and what the All Blacks are through a series of activities, and I am pretty sure they felt motivated and influenced. We were able to:
- Understand the rich culture by exploring the Māori heritage that powers our national team in black.
- Face the haka.
- Use the interactive training field to kick, pass, and think like an All-Black – even sitting in the ‘seats’ of an All-Black.
- Discover untold stories through listening to insights into the discipline, unity, and identity that define our All Blacks.
At the end, some of the students even purchased some merchandise to remember their time.
Lastly, for me personally, I think the highlight of the trip was the Wētā Workshop Unleashed where we were able to see and touch the latest work in film, television, immersive experiences, games, consumer products, etc. The quality of the workshop was shockingly high, and I absolutely loved it so much as a person who loves movies. The little ‘spookers’ activity almost made me faint, but it was still fun.
Thank you to the international team for arranging this trip for us, and everyone loved it!
