It’s the second day of our Adventures by Disney New Zealand trip. Since the itinerary starts in Auckland, this day is called “Aucklandish.” We met our Adventure Guides, Dusty and Danny, in the hotel lobby at 9:45 am. We began with an exploration of the area around the Park Hyatt Auckland, with Danny explaining how the area was made with reclaimed land. Our guides pointed out some nearby options for dinner on our own tomorrow, including a row of seafood restaurants adjacent to a fish market that’s been in business since 1905. We then met our bus driver, who will be transporting us throughout the entirety of our time on the North Island. Our first stop was the Main Course Cooking School, located inside the historic Auckland Gas Company.
Our chef and instructor demonstrated what we’d all be doing to help create a buffet lunch for the entire party. The meal was full of New Zealand delicacies, including lamb, meatballs, kumura (sweet potato) cakes, corn fritters, plus vegetable sides, including a salad with beets.
After the demonstration, we were split into groups to try our hand at making the dishes. As I mentioned in the previous post, one member of our party is a pescatarian, so while we cooked, our chef prepared a fish dish for that Guest’s entree.
Dessert was pavlova, which was the most fun part for the Junior Adventurers (kids) in the group.
Lunch was delicious, and there were plenty of leftovers if anyone wanted a second portion. But best of all, we will all leave New Zealand with a better understanding of the local food culture, and the skills to recreate them when we get home.
Our trip wasn’t booked to capacity, so we finished at the Main Course Cooking School a little early. After getting back on the bus, Dusty and Danny took us to a beautiful lookout point from which the entire Auckland skyline could be seen. Each group had the chance to take a family photo with this beautiful vista.
Then it was time for the America’s Cup Sailing Experience. Heading back to the harbor by our hotel, we met the crew of the NZL41, first used by Japan in the 1995 Louis Vuitton Challenge and sailed by Prince William in 2014. The only modifications to the ship since then (other than routine paint and sail replacements) have been the addition of handrails along the side.
Outfitted with life jackets, the pilots used the motors to get us out of the harbor, and then it was up to the wind in the sails to get us racing away from Auckland. Guests were encouraged to man the winches (aka grinders) to raise and lower the sails at various points during the two-hour excursion. Another volunteer option included the ability to take the wheel, with the on-board pilots suggesting a horizon line to aim for.
This was a thrilling experience, with the sailboat taking some really tight turns. Our crew at Explore Sailing Auckland said they’ve never had a Guest fall overboard, but we did go perpendicular enough to take on a bit of water, and a few Guests in our group got wet.
There were a few calm moments during the adventure, though, which offered some gorgeous views of the Auckland skyline.
The crew aboard the ship were given the honor of distributing our pin of the day, featuring Minnie Mouse at sea looking at Auckland through binoculars.
Back in the wharf, we also got to see an example of the underside of a sailboat, and the heavy keel that make them difficult to tip. Then it was back to the hotel for a one hour break before meeting up again for a bus ride to the Auckland Zoo. This is a private, after-hours experience just for Adventures by Disney.
The Auckland Zoo has five themed “Tracks” inspired by different regions, but our afterhours visit focused on “Te Wao Nui,” Māori for “The Living Realm,” which focuses on the 6 different regions of New Zealand. Before we entered this area of the zoo, we were surprised by a group of Māori performers who treated us to several traditional dances, including a Waiata-ā-ringa, Poi, and the war dance Haka, famous to rugby fans for its use by the New Zealand All Blacks.
The downside to visiting after hours is that most of the animals are asleep, so we only saw a handful. In the Takutai (coast) exhibit, we got to see a group of Kororā (Little Penguins) huddled together.
In Ngā Repo (The Wetlands), we got to see and feed Tuna (New Zealand Long Fin Eels), which can live as long as 80 years on land and in freshwater. Their vision is terrible, so feeding them meant tossing bits of chum into their habitat, but not getting too close. And our Adventure Guides shared that we will be seeing these creatures again throughout the rest of our adventure in New Zealand.
The Auckland Zoo recently celebrated its centennial, and dinner was held in one of the oldest buildings on property, the Old Elephant House. The zoo’s main focus is on conservation and education, and is no longer home to pachyderms, so this historic landmark has been converted into a restaurant for Guests to enjoyl
The buffet-style dinner included bread selections, salad, cranberry green beans, curry eggplant, chicken, and lamb. For the Junior Adventurers, there were also mini cheese pizzas and macaroni and cheese bites. The pescatarian in our group was served a salmon salad. And petite desserts included lemon meringue and cupcakes.
We were back at the hotel by 9:00 pm, and on the bus ride back, our Guides discussed tomorrow’s activities and our meeting time. Today was one heck of an adventure, but I think my favorite part was the America’s Cup Sailing Experience. Check back each day to follow along on our Adventures by Disney trip to New Zealand.