Te Papa Tongarewa

The first time I visited "Our Place" or Te Papa, NZ's national museum, was about 10 years ago. It was quite new then, perhaps in it's first year of operating? I found the whole experience okay but the place itself was confusing in it's layout. I had trouble finding my way around and that left me wondering if I had seen everything I was hoping to see.

This time I was able to remember the placement of the permanent exhibits so i just had to navigate the new displays. There was much that had changed in the past decade but much that was still the same and which had interested me enough that I was able to remember it and still enjoy it anew.

A large part of the museum is dedicated to Maori but there is also a floor of artworks with a more European feel, or simply contemporary.

Other things of note are the Kiwiana exhibits displayed in a mish-mash fashion in an area that must best be described as a maze. go in, get lost, look at the pieces from several angles as you try to find your way out again. Perhaps it was designed that way???

I loved the Pacific display. Artworks, photographs, cloth and music. My home town of Tokoroa has a strong pacific Island culture so it felt familiar to me but had much to teach.

The good thing about Te Papa is that you can feel free to take photographs everywhere but in the Art Gallery. It's a friendly space with helpful staff should you feel a little lost.

They also have special exhibits coming through now and again. These you have to pay to see.

Highlights are the giant squid, the interactive map of the country on the floor and of course that fantastic HQ Holden made of corrugated iron by Jeff Thompson -pure Kiwi!!

Beside the Natural History Museum in London, this is the best museum I have ever been to. I think you could easily spend two days in here and not cover everything; it felt like I kept skipping past exhibits, as I wanted to see it all in just one day.

The history of the Maori colonization of New Zealand is absolutely fascinating, even more so - as I had recently been to Hawaii, where you can see some of the similarities in culture.

There are usually some paid-for exhibitions going on, though entry into the museum is free. I heartily recommend that you make a good donation to a thoroughly engaging and enlightening museum.