Editor Pick
Our Place in Wellington - Great Museum
- October 5, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
beckyX from Cambridge, United Kingdom
Te Papa Tongarewa museum ("Te Papa" or "Our Place" for short) is New Zealand's national museum and is right in the heart of Wellington next to the docks. If you only have time to visit one thing in Wellington, visit Te Papa. Many of the collections are online, so if you can't make it all the way to New Zealand, then have a look at the web pages instead. Originally dating from 1992 (or 1998 for the present incarnation in its iconic building), this is a modern museum suitable for children and adults alike and the exhibits are fun and often interactive, whilst still being educational.
Most of the exhibitions are free, but you pay if you want to go on a guided tour. Lifts going to every floor help with accessibility and are useful for everyone - the museum goes up to floor level 7, so we were quite worn out by the end of our trip!
The building hosts a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibitions, various cafes and shops (including a shop ostensibly for children but which, to my delight, also contains a lot of Lord of the Rings merchandise) and two flight simulators. Late night opening is Thursday (until 9pm) - other days it is 9am- 6pm.
The name "Te Papa Tongarewa" is Maori and, according to our guide, a short translation of the name meant "container of treasures", but apparently, this is only a part of the full name, which was much more complicated and related to the Maori people's respect for the Earth Mother and for their homeland. As with the rest of New Zealand, the museum is bilingual in English and Maori. Many of the exhibits relate to the rich history of the country and of its people. The other main theme of the exhibits relate to New Zealand's extremely high level of geological activity (it has many earthquakes).
I've been to Te Papa twice - once in November 2006 and once in April 2009, and so can recommend firsthand that it is worth going again even if you've already been - there were quite a lot of new exhibits that weren't there the previous time that I went. The most exciting of these new exhibitions was the colossal squid - it's worth going to see this alone. You get to see the preserved squid itself, as well as learning about its origin, how it came to be caught and how it was preserved. They have a fun film of it in a 3-D theatre adjacent to the exhibit.
My favourite bits that I would recommend that you look at are: the tarmac-fossilised possum (a bit gruesome, but children will love it!), the earthquake simulator, the Moa skeletons (extinct birds that had no wing bones at all!) and the basement display of the building's earthquake-proof foundations.
In conclusion, this is an excellent museum to go to, even for people who don't usually like museums. The downsides are that you can't take pictures of the exhibits and that it is so big you can't possibly see it all in one go and can spend ages looking for particular exhibitions.
Cross posted elsewhere
From journal Travels in New Zealand
Editor Pick
Te Papa Tongarewa
- February 12, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
TLM2008 from Toronto, Ontario
To use a cliché in the travel review business, a trip to Wellington is not complete without a visit to the Te Papa museum. Translated as “our place” Te Papa is the National Museum of New Zealand and is an immense source of pride for Wellingtonians. You can easily spend more than one day at Te Papa, though being a resident-tourist, I visited on numerous occasions taking advantage of its climate in the more inclement weather. The museum is chock full of exhibits and features and is extremely well run. There is considerable program for children: story telling, discovery centres and crafts.
There is food available within the museum. On one visit, I relaxed in the nicer of the two cafés (Espresso) over a moccachino and rosemary and feta potato frittata (the Kiwi cafes always seem to offer up delicious eggy-type snacks and frittatas are particularly popular). The seating is comfortable, the prices affordable and the specialty coffees really hit the spot on a cold or rainy day.
Like any museum, there is a mix of permanent collections and special exhibits. I had the opportunity to see a special exhibit of Kiri’s Dresses (gowns worn by the famous kiwi opera singer Dame Kiri at various events, such as the marriage of Lady Diana to Prince Charles). On another visit I took advantage of the “Race to the South Pole” special exhibit. These particular exhibits, have long since moved on, but were incredibly well put together and are no doubt a testament to how well the museum puts together its collections. The permanent collections offer a range of information including displays of Maori culture, native flora and fauna and geology lessons. You can even visit an “earthquake house” which is quite well done. One production which I enjoyed was called “Golden Days” – staged as a junk shop where various items are highlighted and discussed, it offers a crash course in New Zealand history.
The Te Papa stores offer a fantastic collection of souvenirs, including a special Te
Papa kids store (fun even for us adults). This is a great place to purchase specialty books such as “Where’s Kiwi Kevin?” by Richard Gunther, a seek and find book featuring a little kiwi who travels to all parts of New Zealand; historical and geographical facts about New Zealand are scattered throughout. I also picked up one of the cute Bob Darroch books here “The Kiwi who Lost his Mum”. The Te Papa store itself offers a wide collection of items, including many expensive, though beautiful, pieces by Kiwi artisans.
The museum is open every day and entry is free though there is plenty of ways to spend money within. Besides the stores and cafes, there is the opportunity to donate to the museum at entry; or you may purchase Te Papa guidebooks for a nominal fee. Some of the special exhibits require additional entry costs but it was well worth the small sum when I visited.
From journal Windy Wellington