The Heta Academy
Learning through real experience
At Waiheke High School, our HETA Academy (Hospitality, Event Management, Travel and Adventure Tourism) is all about learning by doing. Instead of simply talking about tourism and hospitality in the classroom, students are out in the industry – meeting visitors, working alongside professionals, and experiencing firsthand what makes Waiheke such a special destination.
From the very beginning, the academy received incredible support from the local industry. Early supporters including EcoZip Adventures, Waiheke Walking Festival, the Waiheke Winegrowers Association, and Casita Miro all offered to provide real-life experiences and assessment opportunities for students.
When we officially launched the academy, even more businesses came on board. There was a real sense of excitement in the room, with local operators enthusiastic, confident, and genuinely ready to help support the next generation of industry leaders on Waiheke.
One of the first decisions made during the launch was that all academy students would complete KiwiHost training. Thanks to generous funding from the Waiheke Local Board, that training quickly became a reality – giving students valuable customer service and visitor engagement skills right from the start.
Walking the Talk
We kicked off the year with a fantastic collaboration alongside Kate and the team from the Waiheke Walking Festival. Students selected a walk they wanted to narrate and got straight into researching the stories, history, and points of interest along the route before writing their own commentary.
Of course, mastering the “walkie-talkies” so visitors could hear the narration was a challenge of its own – but it definitely created some memorable moments.
Learning from Industry
Next up, students had the privilege of being trained by Waiheke High School graduate Poppy Blakey at EcoZip Adventures. They learned how to set up ziplining equipment, gear up guests safely, and assist visitors at the end of the experience.
Working directly with real visitors helped students grow in confidence and build important communication and customer service skills – something that would prove invaluable for their next challenge.
Listening to our visitors
One of the academy’s biggest projects this year involved surveying visitors to better understand guest experiences and identify what visitors need while on Waiheke.
Armed with clipboards, perseverance, and plenty of smiles, students managed to collect an impressive 243 survey responses. A huge achievement.
The data will now be analysed and compared with visitor research collected back in 2009, before being shared with local industry partners. It’s exciting for students to know their work could help shape future tourism experiences on the island.
Beyond Waiheke
Most recently, students headed off-island to experience larger-scale tourism and hospitality operations firsthand.
From the All Blacks Experience and Wētā Workshop experiences in Auckland to visits with Queenstown Resort College, KJet, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand, Crowne Plaza Queenstown, and Rātā Restaurant, students gained behind-the-scenes insights into how successful tourism businesses operate and what career pathways exist within the industry.
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters
We’d like to sincerely thank all of our supporters and sponsors for engaging with the academy and helping create these opportunities for our students. This industry-led course simply wouldn’t be possible without your support, enthusiasm, and willingness to share your knowledge.
We’re incredibly excited about where this journey is heading and look forward to sharing many more HETA adventures in the future.
