Museum, Gallery sights in Pacific
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Kawhia Regional Museum & Gallery
Kawhia's cute waterside museum is a modest but engaging affair, with lots of local history, nautical and Maori artefacts, and regular art exhibitions. It doubles as the visitor information centre.
reviewed
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A
Whakatane Museum & Gallery
This impressive regional museum has artfully presented displays on early Maori and European settlerment in the area: taonga (treasures) of local Maori trace their lineage back to the Mataatua canoe. The art gallery presents a varied program of NZ and international exhibitions. It's rumoured to be relocating: call the number if it's not where it's supposed to be.
reviewed
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B
Rotorua Museum
This outstanding museum occupies a grand Tudor-style edifice. It was originally an elegant spa retreat called the Bath House (1908): displays in the former shower rooms give a fascinating insight into some of the eccentric therapies once practised here, including 'electric baths' and the Bergonie Chair.
A gripping 20-minute film on the history of Rotorua, including the Tarawera eruption, runs every 20 minutes from 9am (not for small kids – the seats vibrate and the eruption noises are authentic!). The fabulous new Don Stafford Wing houses eight object-rich galleries dedicated to Rotorua's Te Arawa people, featuring woodcarving, flax weaving, jade, interactive audiovisual…
reviewed