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 Fascinating journey of discovery |
Level 2, Cotton Building Victoria University, Kelburn Pde Wellington 6005 New Zealand +64 4 802 4860 (Visitor Information Centre) |
Tucked away in the halls of academia (yet just a stone's throw from Wellington's 'golden mile' shopping on Lambton Quay and Wellington's beautiful Botanical gardens) you will find a hidden treasure trove of rocks and things geological. Gain an understanding of the foundations that form New Zealand. Find out why it is they call New Zealand the 'shaky isles'. Fondle rocks to your hearts desire in this lab like museum dedicated to all rock forms. The rock hound amongst you will appreciate it. Admission: Free. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Early New Zealand on display |
10 Mulgrave Street Thorndon Wellington, New Zealand 6144 New Zealand +64 4 499 5595 http://www.archives.govt.nz |
As the storehouse of New Zealand's records, the National Archives are a treasure trove of government records and her early history. View the Treaty of Waitangi, access early maps and plans (The archives hold the largest cartographic collection in New Zealand. They store over 300,000 maps, plans and blueprints - the earliest dating from 1839), artworks and photographs. There is always an exhibition being held on an aspect of New Zealand's history. Delve into the past to get a glimpse of some of the things that made us what we are. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Pioneer cottage |
68 Nairn Street Wellington 6001 New Zealand +64 4 384 9122 http://www.colonialcottagemuse... |
Built in 1858, this rare example of a pioneer cottage has been painstakingly restored to depict lower-middle class family life in colonial Wellington. It is a unique and magnificent example of skilled workmanship and much of the original structure and detail remains thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Colonial Cottage Museum Society. If you are lucky, you may even get a chance to try your hand at pikelet making on the original coal range, which is still in excellent working order. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
 Sculpture in a garden setting |
1995 Akatarawa Road Upper Hutt Wellington 6007 New Zealand +64 4 526 7924 http://www.efildoog-nz.com |
You will find a garden for all seasons lying in the beautiful Akatarawa Valley. Eleven acres of gardens surrounded by bush clad hills featuring magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons and other rare trees and shrubs. Sculptures by contemporary New Zealand artists can be found throughout the gardens and a gallery displays early New Zealand paintings. Walk along the paths beside tranquil ponds or find a restful spot to sit and enjoy the best nature, and art, has to offer. Admission: for an adult is NZD14, for children (below 16) is NZD6 and for children below 5yrs are considered free. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Reeling in the years |
84 Taranaki Street P. O. Box 11 449, Te Anakura Whitiahua Wellington 6001 New Zealand +64 4 384 7647 http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/ |
The Film Centre is the public face of the New Zealand Film Archive, an organisation committed to collecting, projecting and preserving New Zealand's film and television history. As such, the small museum, focuses on film as an artistic and cultural medium with experimental films offered frequently as exhibition showpieces. Guided visits and tailored screenings are available for education, community and social groups. Admission is free or by donation. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
 1870s living |
707 Fergusson Drive Wellington 6007 New Zealand +64 4 528 9855 http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/fra... |
For those who like a glimpse of the past, Golder Cottage in the Hutt Valley is a window into life in the 1870s. Built in 1876 (additions made up until 1900), the preserved cottage and artifacts, reflect early life in New Zealand. This is an historic house and museum in one. Stroll around the cottage and grounds. View the beautiful native kowhai, a feature of the quarter of an acre grounds that surround the cottage, and one of many of the original trees planted when the cottage was first built and still standing today. Admission: Adult NZD2. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Maritime memorabilia |
Queens Wharf P. O. Box 893 Wellington 6001 New Zealand +64 4 472 8904 / +64 4 472 8904 (Museum Shop) http://www.bondstore.co.nz |
This fascinating collection of maritime memorabilia will captivate old sea salts and land lubbers alike. Housed in an old wharf building (recently refurbished) it is devoted to Wellington city and her maritime history. Housed over three levels, the museum's displays include paintings, flags, bells, maps, logbooks and model ships and a replica ship's cabin. Amongst the modern holographics, special effects, computer games, CD roms, interactive and LCD screens you will find old tales of seafaring and shipwrecks. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Collection of cricket artefacts |
Downtown Wellington Wellington 6001 New Zealand +64 4 385 6602 http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/Mus... |
Housed in the Old Stand (built 1924) at the Basin Reserve, once the player's dressing room and tearooms, the museum is devoted to charting the development of New Zealand cricket in the last century. The collection chronicles from a time when underarm bowling was standard to present day. View a curved cricket bat dating from 1743 (the only one in the southern hemisphere) or a working cricket ball made out of red cross parcels used by New Zealand prisons-of-war. Admission: Adults NZD5; children (without an adult) NZD2, (with an adult) free. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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For another perspective |
Royal New Zealand Police College Campus Papakowhai Road Wellington 6006 New Zealand +64 4 238 3141 http://www.police.govt.nz/serv... |
You cannot ignore the role the police play in our communities. They participate in all events whether tragedies or celebrations. This museum recognises that with intriguing exhibitions of historic occasions, such as the protests against apartheid and violence that erupted surrounding the Springbok Tour, the Mount Erebus plane crash, and the early 1913 industrial strikes. Interactive activities for kids complement the fascinating historical data. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Museum of art and cultures |
Corner Norrie & Parumoana Street Wellington 6006 New Zealand +64 4 237 1511 http://www.pataka.org.nz/ |
A "storehouse of treasures", this gallery/museum is a showcase for established artists in the Porirua area. Sculpture, art, photography, and other visual displays with a distinct Pacific feel are exhibited, reflecting the diversity of the people that make up the multicultural city of Porirua. Travel the timeline and see the influences of the different cultures, from pre-European to the present day, and the impact they have had on this city. Admission is free. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Danu + Erika Achmadi |
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Splendid |
The Esplanade Petone Wellington 6008 New Zealand +64 4 568 8373 http://www.huttcity.info/counc... |
This splendid little museum, Te Whare Whakaaro o Pito One, is a social history museum focusing on the people in the local area. It tells the story of Petone, its land and the arrival of immigrants to the Lower Hutt valley. For those interested in genealogy there is a 19th century immigration database on line. Trace your ancestors back to the ships that arrived during the 19th century. Special opening hours for groups. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Craig Phillips |
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Steam engine lovers' delight |
Eastern Hutt Road Silverstream Wellington 6009 New Zealand +64 4 802 4860 (Visitor Information Centre) |
Nothing beats the sight, sound or smell of the steam engine and at Silverstream (just north of Lower Hutt) you can indulge the senses and re-live a time when the steam engine ruled the roads. Ride a steam engine, watch the powerful engines in action, marvel at the engineering accomplishments of the early designers and of the work gone in to restoring the engines by present day enthusiasts. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Largest collection of cars |
Otaihanga Road Paraparaumu Wellington 6010 New Zealand +64 4 297 1221 http://www.southward.org.nz |
A short drive up Wellington's lovely "Gold coast", you will find the largest collection of cars and motorbikes in New Zealand. Once the largest private collection of cars (now a charitable trust) the Southwards car museum holds more than 200 cars and 125 motorbikes. With cars dating from an early (1890s) Benz you will find a collection that will enthral and intrigue the big (and little) boys and girls in your group. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Jennifer Jose |
 Photo: Jennifer Jose |
 Photo: helmut the horrible |
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Interactive entertainment, history, art |
Cable Street Wellington 6001 New Zealand +64 4 381 7000 http://www.tepapa.govt.nz |
Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand, is a fitting testament to the nation's heritage and storehouse for some of the country's most precious treasures. Te Papa celebrates the unique multicultural nature of New Zealand through art, exhibitions and multimedia. Highlights include virtual bungy jumping, a day in the life of a junk shop and the chance to walk through a reconstructed slice of real New Zealand countryside. Come for an afternoon--spend a week! Admission: Free, but donations gratefully accepted. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Constantly changing displays |
45 Laings Road Lower Hutt Wellington 6009 New Zealand +64 4 570 6500 www.newdowse.org,nz |
The Dowse has one of the best collections of contemporary textiles, jewellery and ceramics in the country. This, with a constantly changing exhibition programme, ensures it retains its reputation as a premier craft art museum. Contemporary wood, sculpture, glass, photography and ceramics are often on display and public lectures and demonstrations are regularly held by the museum. The Dowse café is a perfect complement to every exhibition serving excellent coffee and food. Admission is free. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Melanie Morris |
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Window on Wellington history |
28 Barker Street Wellington 6001 New Zealand +64 4 801 2096 http://www.wellington.govt.nz/... |
Described as 'more than the institutional memory of a city', these archives contain more than 150 years of Wellington's local authority history. The records date from the 1840s and contain a vast amount of information. Comprising maps, photographs, plans and artifacts, the archives are a treasure trove of information for researchers and anyone else interested in local history. The archives are free to view though there is a small charge for any photocopying or research requests. Archivists are on hand to assist with any research queries. Review © 2007, Wcities |
