Wilkinson, who looms as the danger man for the English side in his fourth World Cup, first ventured to Dunedin wearing the English rose in 1998.
That year the All Blacks were not much chop - they went on to lose five tests in a row - but they were still much too good for England, beating them 64-22 in the first test at Carisbrook.
Wilkinson (32) started that day at Carisbrook, a teenager on his first tour - but did not see the game out.
His memories of that game were vague when asked yesterday but the experience still taught him plenty.
"It was that long ago I can't remember much of the off-field stuff to be honest," he said.
"But I learned a lot about being the best. It has been important to me. You just learn how much passion and pride there is in the performance and holding the tradition of success so highly."
"It does give you that little boost. You come here to play and do your best and that's not only against the All Blacks but against whoever you play. Argentina certainly fits the bill. It was a lifetime ago really, long enough for me to say lessons learnt and get to play well."
Wilkinson said arriving in New Zealand for this World Cup he would like to think the England team was better equipped now than then.
That though had happened before and the side had been found out.
"But you find out just how far short you are. I've still learnt those lessons quite a lot in my life, not just rugby but in quite a positive way."
Wilkinson had his first look at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Monday night and came away impressed.
But with no rain and little wind in the covered stadium, Wilkinson said it made goal-kicking no easier.
"It [the stadium] affects the ball, the strike, the noise, the complexion of the ball. You have to take everything into account.
"It is kind of interesting, conditions become the variable. When you are the goal-kicker in any game there is no excuses, wind, rain, or whatever."
Wilkinson has kicked plenty of pressure goals over the years and can call on the services of kicking coach Dave Alred on this trip.
There were lot of different things which affected kicking but not all of that went though his head when he went to kick the ball.
"The kicking thing is so much mental. Physically, you can learn and do your repetition and some of it is ingrained. But mentally, you wake up in the morning, you are a different person than when you went to sleep ... the work never finishes, it is the most frustrating thing in the world.
"You can say I should have had it by now, surely I should have got that by now, but you never will. That is one of the frustrations of the sport."
Wilkinson and his team will get their first run on the new stadium on Friday afternoon but it had already made a big impression on the first five-eighth after his brief visit on Monday night.
"It looks like a hell of a place ... great atmosphere, great pitch, great set-up. It felt good being there."
Jonny Wilkinson
England talisman
Age: 32
Born: Fromley, Surrey
England debut: v Ireland, April, 1998, youngest English player at time
World Cups: 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011
Caps: England: 82; Lions: 6Points: 1151 test points, including 35 dropped goals
• Plays for French club Toulon
• Only player to score points in two World Cup finals