25 ideas for your business team day in Auckland
Being responsible for organising a team building day, or work party can be a daunting task. You’re asked to find an activity that will pull down peoples walls, bring the team closer together and entertain the group, all without offending anybody or letting things get out of control…no pressure! It’s hard to please everybody and find an activity that has the right balance of being ‘safe for work’ but also fun and outrageous enough to bring people out of their shells.
We’ve compiled a list of activities to suit a range of budgets that would be great for a team or office outing in Auckland (Keep an eye out for upcoming lists on other amazing cities around NZ!).
The Classic – Comedy shows
The classic offers a variety of comedy shows by different local and international comedians. They take corporate bookings in the Christmas season for parties, but have a look at their website to see what’s coming up. Some shows start as late as 10pm, so this is a great post-dinner option.
Scavenger hunt
Whilst mostly popular with children, there is no reason that adults can’t enjoy a scavenger hunt (like the mature, serious individuals that we are!). A little creativity can go a long way when creating a list of missions for a hunt, but for those of us who lack the creative spark, we’ve listed some websites for inspiration.
Don't forget to tell the teams they need photo/video evidence of their achievements!
High ropes course
Both tree adventures and rocket ropes offer corporate/team building packages with up to 3 hours up in the trees. Get an adrenaline rush and build trust among your team members by hanging off ropes tens of meters above the ground. Make sure you’re clipped on!
Hire a party bus
There's no denying that a party bus with an on-board bar is a pretty fun way to get around! Getapartybus.co.nz can take you to and from a variety of corporate activities. If your crowd needs to warm up before jumping on a neon-lit bar-on-wheels, hire one to take you to the last venue of the day/night.
If you don’t have time to research and plan the activities for your team the guys at getapartybus can do it for you – they have competitive rates this include the activity and two way transport. Activities they offer include mini golf, Spookers, pub crawls, team building days, vineyard tours, cooking challenges and more. Great for businesses with a decent budget, but no time to organise the day yourself.
Walk across the Harbour Bridge
For $85pp you can take your team for a walk over Auckland's Harbour Bridge. The stunning experience lasts 1.5 hours, but be aware that the activity is weather dependent, and there are some weight restrictions.
Laser tag
Megazone have laser tag facilities in Takapuna, Mt Wellington and Grey Lynn. Their largest facility is the multi-level arena in Mount Wellington. They have a variety of packages including meals and glow in the dark mini golf options starting at $17 pp. Bring out the inner child (or assassin) in your team with a decent adrenaline rush.
Sky Walk/Jump
Talk a walk around the top of the iconic Sky tower, and if you’re brave you can even jump off it! The skyjump lets you travel down to the base at up to 85km per hour. While you’re there you could have a meal and drinks at the top (Orbit 360°).
Cooking classes
Social cooking school is hands down one of the best corporate venues I have personally been to. Many of their corporate cooking experiences offer drinks, but the non-drinkers will have just as much fun. The hosts are funny and outgoing, and there are some very nice prizes up for grabs for the talented chefs among your group. Take one look at their testimonials page and you’ll see why we can’t stop raving.
Honourable mentions:
- Raffeala Delmonte Al Dente - Italian
- Sachies Kitchen - Asian (Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian or Indian ) from $75pp
- Auckland Seafood School - Seafood
Rainbow's End
Choose between visiting the theme park on a summer evening for ‘night rides’ or hire the whole venue after hours from a surprisingly low amount of $52 per head. Rainbow's End offer a range of packages with or without a meal, and they cater to groups of any size.
Spookers
Set on the grounds of the out-of-action Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital Spookers is a quirky and unexpected venue for a work-do. What brings people together faster than being chased by a ghoul with its mouth sewn shut, or a masked madman with a chainsaw?They offer a buffet and three attractions to choose from (or visit them all!) from $75pp. Or they have team building packages from $120 ‘per skull’. It might be worth checking that everyone would actually enjoy a trip to Spookers before locking this in!
Clay bird shooting
Learn a new skill and try your hand at clay bird shooting. Best for smaller teams up to 15 people, clay Target shooting caters to beginners and is a mere 30 minutes north of Auckland.
Image: Amazing Space-Methven
Snowplanet
Visit Auckland's only indoor ski slope. A short drive north of Auckland lies a winter wonderland where the team can get lessons, play snow games, and grab some lunch.
Go karting
$79pp will get you access to the BBQ area, a winners prize pack, a corporate room, race carts, and table tennis. You can supply your own catering if you like.
Mini golf
At around $15 per person mini golf is a great cheap way to kill a couple of hours and ease into the days activities. Lilliput golf have themed mini putt courses at 5 locations around Auckland.
High tea
Feeling a bit fancy? Maybe you just want an excuse to dress up?
Hotel DeBrett and the Langham do a good high tea, or even better, if it's sunny hold your own outdoor high tea! Who doesn’t want to start their team day with a glass of bubbles, a mini sandwich and scones?
Auckland Zoo
Sip on cocktails and enjoy lunch in the sun (or in one of their function rooms) near the exotic animals at the Auckland Zoo. Catering must be organised through the good people at Auckland Conventions.
Berry picking
Berry picking is a nostalgic experience for most kiwis, and a fun time for those who haven’t tried it before. ‘Pick your own’ berry picking farms are becoming something of a rarity in New Zealand due to the damage that inexperienced pickers can do to the crops, but there are still a few places that allow it. There are several berry picking farms a short distance out of the city, but keep in mind that it's highly seasonal, and farms usually only open their gates to the public around Jan-Feb. Pickers are pay for the fruit by the kilo.
- Sweet red strawberries
45 Fred Taylor Drive, Massey North.
- Best Berries
Coatesville and Whenuapai farms.
- Massey Gardens and Orchard – daily from 9am – 5.30pm
45 State Highway 16, Massey
ph 09 416 8262
- Phill Greig Stawberry Gardens
464 State Highway 16, Kumeu.
ph 09 412 7329
- Troost Family Strawberry Fields
114 Sunnyside Rd, Coatesville,
ph 09-415 9552
Cluedo live murder mystery night
Hate awkward dinner small talk? A murder mystery interactive performance will surely break the ice. Nothing brings people together like sharing some laughs over beverages and dinner.
Spend the day at a Waiheke vineyard
Most Aucklanders have already been to the popular wedding destination that is Waiheke, and yet we keep going back! Waiheke is one of those places that is just far enough away to make it feel like you’ve left the city and are on a mini holiday. Needless to say it produces some exceptional award winning wines, and has some spectacular vantage points where you can enjoy your glass while looking out over Auckland. A few of our favourites are:
Passage Rock offers a mid-winter degustation as well as several fun activies like wine blending or the wine tasting challenge. Packages start from $88 per person including a meal, team building and transfers. Hire bikes to explore Waiheke, or to travel between wine tastings (depending on how much wine you're 'tasting').
While you’re there you might as well do some zip-lining.
ECOZIP Adventures have three zip-lines, a vineyard, and a walking trail to enjoy. You can chose from packages including one zip-line from $119 per person, or a zip/wine/dine option from $259 (incl ferry).
Villa Maria
Take a trip 30 minutes South of Auckland to New Zealand’s most awarded winery, where the modern bold architecture stands out against the gentle curve of the surrounding greenery. Villa Maria has a variety of menus to choose from for your work event from canapes and finger food to a full buffet. The vineyard has a special offer for Christmas functions starting at $145 per head (incl. GST), but you’ll have to book early!
Whale and dolphin watching
See unfamiliar mammals from within the comfort of the familiar Auckland waterways. The Whale and Dolphin safari lasts for 4.5 hours and at $160 per head is a relatively affordable team outing.
America’s Cup sailing experience
Not many people can say they’ve been on yachts used in the America’s Cup! This makes for a fun, and active activity for smaller groups. The trip takes 2-3 hours, with no prior experience necessary, and costs $170-230pp. Make sure you take closed shoes with you.
Auckland Harbour boat cruise
There are cruise options from a couple of hours, to a full dinner and party. A cruise along the harbour in the evening gives you a different view of the skyline, and it really is special. If you’ve got a decent budget and a large number of staff hire the Ipipiri (the largest cruise ship permanently based in New Zealand) for lunch from $5000 all up. Or for smaller groups, go for something more modest like The Red Boats from $250 per hour. The Red Boats lets you supply your own food which is one way to keep costs down, but they still have a fully licenced bar on board.
That concludes our list of team-building and team day out ideas. We hope you found some inspiration here. If you aren’t based in Auckland, or want some extra ideas, take a look at our list of activities for your social club – click here.
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