I write on dooyoo.com under the name beckyX. Thanks for reading, I appreciate all the feedback and t...
I write on dooyoo.com under the name beckyX. Thanks for reading, I appreciate all the feedback and tips to improve my reviews
Member since:27.09.2009
Reviews:37
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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 from dooyoo.com)
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Advantages: Lots to see and do, brilliant garden to explore outside. Plan for two half day visits to get most out of it. And its FREE. Disadvantages: On 2nd floor have to pay to 'experience' rides. Maori folk tale rather than scientific facts.
Advantages: Lots to see and do, brilliant garden to explore outside. Plan for two half day visits to get most out of it. And its FREE. Disadvantages: On 2nd floor have to pay to 'experience' rides. Maori folk tale rather than scientific facts.
very helpful by (100%):
