The All Blacks Experience at Sky City opened in December 2020. Photo / Supplied
The All Blacks Experience at Sky City opened in December 2020. Photo / Supplied
For Phil McGowan, working at some of New Zealand's best tourism attractions is a real buzz, writes Elisabeth Easther
Born and raised in the UK, Phil McGowan was lured to Aotearoa when he fell in love with The Lord of the Rings. He's since worked at Kelly Tarlton's, The NZ Maritime Museum, Auckland Zoo and is now GM of The All Blacks Experience at Auckland's Sky City, which opened in December 2020.
How would you describe the All Blacks Experience? We share the legacy of the black jersey, and how it can inspire people to push themselves to achieve greatness, no matter who they are or where they're from. It's a quintessential Kiwi story that starts with a 45-minute guided tour with manuhiri shown an incredible piece of West Coast pounamu, that was gifted to the All Blacks in 2015 by Ngati Waewae, a Ngāi Tahu hapu. It's called the mauri stone, their energy stone, and when the All Blacks are playing, the stone travels with them, and the more visitors that touch it, the more mauri is added and the more precious it becomes.
How tough was opening an attraction during a global pandemic? Incredibly challenging. We had great results in the school holidays last winter, then lockdown took the wind out of our sails but we'll get the numbers back up. We're lucky to have two extremely supportive owners, Ngāi Tahu and New Zealand Rugby. They're playing a long game and have supported us through thick and thin.
How did you keep your spirits up? The team helped me through, as did focusing on making sure the quality of what we do stays high. So long as word of mouth stays positive, when borders open we'll be here, celebrating national pride, Kiwi culture and the nation's love for the black jersey and the haka.
What initially drew you to New Zealand from the UK? I was at university in Yorkshire when I started thinking about a working holiday. At the same time, I saw the first Lord of the Rings movie. My love affair with the movie was possibly a bit unhealthy, but those amazing landscapes helped open my eyes to travel and, in 2003, I jumped on a plane to Auckland.
What were your plans? I wasn't sure, but my grandmother had a Kiwi pen pal whose adult children lived in Auckland, so I stepped off the plane knowing I'd be met. Don drove me up One Tree Hill back when you could do that, then we headed to Remuera where I ate a bacon sandwich and fell asleep at 3pm.
Was it aroha at first sight? I enjoyed Auckland but I planned to head home within a year and knuckle down to what my parents would call a "proper job", so after three months I bought a car and went to places like Rotorua, Taupō and Coromandel.
What were the highlights? Being in Wellington for the 2003 Rugby World Cup final between Australia and England was memorable. We were at an Irish pub on Cuba St. Four English fans and a German girl who didn't care, while everybody else was Kiwi and cheering for Australia. Then of course we won, which was hilarious.
Were you made to leave town? No, it was great fun. Then we did more obvious stuff - Picton, Kaiteriteri, over Arthur's Pass to Franz Josef. But the scenery around Wānaka and Queenstown really blew me away. Small towns nestled in incredible landscapes and that's when I fell in love with the country.
He might be British born and bred, but Phil McGowan has fallen in love with Kiwi culture. Photo / supplied
Is it as fun as you'd imagine, working at places where people go for fun? Yes, it is. One of the best days I ever had was on the heritage vessel Breeze. We spent the whole day sailing, under the harbour bridge, out to Rangitoto and Motukōrea (Browns Island) doing a recce to create a full-day itinerary for the really keen Maritime Museum visitors. Such an incredible day out.
Did you swim with sharks at Kelly Tarlton's? Diving in the shark tank is amazing, as is walking through the aquarium but the most impressive thing is the incredible work Kelly Tarlton's does rehabilitating turtles. I was lucky to join the team when they released three turtles up at the Poor Knights. I'll take that memory to my grave.
You've got great reo pronunciation for an Englishman. How did that come about? Māori culture is completely unique, and I've had my eyes and my heart opened to its importance. To not share that with guests, if they're coming from overseas or they're local, you're missing an important opportunity to deliver a richer, more interesting, more authentic experience so I consciously upskilled with courses at Unitec and online.
What has tourism taught you? I've learnt that sharing experiences with people gives me joy. Whether it's stories, food or hospitality, providing manākitanga gives me the greatest buzz and I'm lucky to be supported by an incredible team who love it too. Covid has put us through the wringer but my team turns up to work each day with smiles on their faces to work just as hard today as they were when we opened.
