First, it was Farmers’ Santa with his winking eye. Then it was Smith & Caughey’s enchanted forest. Aucklanders have endured the loss of many Christmas delights over the years. Mitchell Hageman checks out the new experience bringing the festivities back to the city.
Some will remember it as a swanky bar, others as an Esports arena. But that funny little circular corridor just above the base of Auckland’s Sky Tower has a new inhabitant – Santa and his elves direct from the North Pole.
SkyCity has converted Level 7 of the Sky Tower into Santa’s Magical Wonderland, where families can share their Christmas lists with Santa, and perhaps even bask in some nostalgia as they recognise some old, familiar sights in a new setting.
The demise of Smith & Caughey’s, known widely for its take on Santa’s Enchanted Forest, was a blow to Auckland’s Christmas lovers, while Covid, construction and widespread business closures in the city centre haven’t helped usher in the Christmas spirit. Farmers’ famous winking Santa with his beckoning finger retired in 2019.
And while the SkyCity complex is no stranger to scintillating Christmas adornment, sales and marketing general manager Caroline Ah-Chong Douglas says Santa’s Magical Wonderland aims to build on the experiences that have come before it.
“Christmas is a legacy that we want to carry on here in Auckland city, so we have made sure we’ve kept the nostalgia and the legacy that is Christmas, but also added our touch.”
Taking four months to set up by a team of dedicated staff, the project features 100,000 lights, 1500 hanging ceiling decorations and a whopping 150 Christmas trees.
Altogether, more than a kilometre of lighting cable and thousands of ornaments were used to transform the space into Santa’s North Pole hideaway beneath the Sky Tower.
“You enter through a magical forest, and we’ve got four interactive screens, which have our elves working in Santa’s workshop, so the kids can have a little bit of fun,” Ah-Chong Douglas says of the 15-minute experience.
In the forest, located by the Sky Tower entrance, is Santa’s sleigh, where people can take a family photo, before being transported into a portal (an immersive decaled lift) that takes them up to the North Pole to meet Santa himself.
Eagle-eyed history aficionados and regular visitors to Smith & Caughey’s Christmas set-up might swear there are some similarities between those props and the ones in the Sky Tower – but SkyCity wouldn’t confirm or deny this.
One thing that is clear is the nostalgia on display.
From Transformer toys to snow globes and even ice skates from Sweden, multiple keepsakes were donated by SkyCity staff, and others were specially sourced or purchased to bring the magic of Santa’s workshop to life.
“We’ve also got themed Christmas meals in our restaurants, and a beautiful gingerbread display down in our atrium along with all our other Christmas decorations,” Ah-Chong Douglas says.
The importance of filling the Christmas void in Auckland is clear to Heart Of The City chief executive Viv Beck.
“I love the fact that it’s got the heritage, and a future focus as well – something different for Aucklanders to come and enjoy,” she says.
“And I think it’s been a journey, and SkyCity’s been part of that journey. We’re into the 92nd year of the Farmers Santa Parade this year. We obviously had Santa for about 60 years before we unfortunately had to see him retire. But SkyCity jumped in to support Santa in his ailing years.”
Beck also notes Christmas in the central city had “continued to evolve” despite the disruptive periods.
“It took a few years before we could actually replace Santa with the giant Christmas tree. But we have done a variety of things, like we’ve got the Vector lights in Queen St, and the Farmers building lights up now for Christmas,” she says.
According to RNZ, Auckland Council is spending nearly $300,000 on towering Christmas decorations for the city centre this year, with the giant tree last year costing more than $1 million.
“This particular part of the central city has been pretty significantly challenged, and I think to have such a fabulous attraction at this important time of the year, for kids and families and others to come and enjoy is just really exciting and very, very timely.”
Asked to describe the experience, she said it was a “true wonderland” and visitors would find it “hard not to be captivated”.
“I’m imagining a little person looking up and just, you know, the wonder of it all. And I think the parents will enjoy it too, and anyone else who comes through.”
Santa’s Magical Wonderland
SkyCity Auckland – starting downstairs by the SkyTower entrance. Open until December 24, 9.30am and 9pm daily.
One reservation includes entry for one child (0-14 years) and up to two adults for $35. This includes one festive bauble, one printed photo and one digital photo.
Additional guests can join for:
Visitors can also add a visit to the Sky Tower on the same day at a special rate:
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.