Hiwa Recreation Centre impresses as world-class at official opening

When Commonwealth diver and engineering student Frazer Tavener made a spectacular splash into the pool at the official opening of Hiwa Recreation Centre, it was a symbolic moment.

The Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland facility has already made a splash on campus and, at its official launch on 21 February, the ripples went further – into the wider Auckland community.

Since Hiwa’s soft launch on 25 November, following a blessing five days earlier, more than 100,000 people have passed through its doors. Staff took advantage of a special summer membership, students paid their annual fee of $200, and many just had a look around.

The eight-storey building, with rooftop turf, pool, and state-of-the-art sports halls and studios, as well as chill-out zones, café, and more nooks and crannies than can be imagined, is being used by staff, students and the public as part of the University’s focus on balancing well-being with academia. It has already hosted a number of events and sports matches, but the unveiling of the plaque at Friday’s official opening signifies the importance of Hiwa to the University of Auckland and its community.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater and Hon Chris Bishop, Minister for Infrastructure and Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation, told around 130 guests, including Mayor Wayne Brown, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Sports NZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle, Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner, and a number of alumni Olympians and top athletes, that Hiwa was a huge milestone for the University, after planning for a new recreation centre for a decade.

Professor Freshwater said the investment in Hiwa, more than half of which was paid for by student levies over many years, further enhances the University of Auckland’s position as New Zealand’s pre-eminent, research-led university.

“We are delighted to officially open the doors to this wonderful facility to bolster the world-class education our students receive and enhance the well-being of the wider community.

“It’s an important hub for our growing University population and an asset for Auckland.”

When the first recreation centre was built in the 1970s, there were around 10,000 people on the City Campus. With almost 50,000 in 2025, the time for Hiwa was right.

“Hiwa demonstrates our commitment to excellence,” says Freshwater. “Being a global top-100 university we can now also offer world-class recreation facilities that leading institutions around the world typically offer.”

Bishop said as the former sports minister he had been to a number of sports facilities around the world, and Hiwa was “genuinely quite something. This is a remarkable facility for the University, but also for the city, and the whole country.

“We need the University of Auckland to succeed, we need Auckland to thrive for the country, and this will be a major contributor to help build a world-class university and a world-class city. If Auckland succeeds we will have a world-class country as well.”

Former Silver Fern Sulu Fitzpatrick, Master of Arts, now working at High Performance Sport New Zealand, joked that the Rec Centre has “had a minor upgrade” since she studied at the University.

“The magnitude and the quality of this facility will make not only top athletes better for the world stage, but allow students and staff members to be happier and healthier, which will contribute to a better New Zealand. It’s exciting.”

And when the moment came for the VC’s Invitational Seven to take on the Sport and Recreation Seven in a short, (mostly) friendly match of netball in Sports Hall 1, Fitzpatrick showed her class as the star netballer in the Sport and Rec side.  

For the VC’s team, Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner failed to declare his sporting prowess as a former Aussie Rules footballer which quickly became apparent under the hoop in defence.  There was a winning score, but Hiwa was the winner on the day. 

There had been a lot of build-up to this important day, and over the weekend when 5,000 students move into their University accommodation (and have access to Hiwa as part of their fee), they’ll all get the chance to see what the fuss is about. In 2025, Hiwa will officially live up to its name, gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. It means ‘vigorous, active, robust, sound’. All attributes that have been shown to enhance learning. Bring on Semester One.