Museum-hopping - local recommendations welcomed!

I've always loved museums, public and private, and am having lovely geeky time hopping from small museum to small museum on my way down south - many of which I have never been to before. Not everyone's idea of fun but...

The last two days I have been to the Army Museum at Waiouru (my second time there, very impressive), a steam museum (Tokomaru), a 'the way we were' museum complete with miniature town made up of models of buildings from all over NZ (Murrayfield and 'Helenstown'), a rail and heritage museum (Paekakariki) and a flax mill museum (Foxton).

I now know about the US Marines stationed in Kapiti Coast during WW2; that most steam engines weren't on trains but were stationary, that Michael Joseph Savage was a great speaker (knew he was, but actually hearing his speech from his sickbed announcing NZ entering WW2 that was broadcast on radio is very moving) and about the NZ flax processing industry way back when it was a boom and bust industry with mills everywhere.

Every museum, no matter how obscure, has a wee gem somewhere that sticks in the mind and makes it worthwhile. And the folks who run these are so interesting - intense, maybe obsessive, but fascinating in their knowledge and eagerness to share [] and often you get a personalized guided tour as you are the only one there.

So now I have been outed as a total history geek (as well as a weeds one), what are the best kept local museum secrets in your area? I have been to a fair few around the country, but very happy to find out about others that I can poke around in over the next year when I am in the vicinity

In Dunedin, the Early Settlers Museum is the best one I've ever been to. It's just reopened after being refurbished. Lots of examples of early transport, info about immigration from Scotland, accounts of the settlors. Something for everyone - even our 4 year old. Best bit was they had the diary of my G-G-G granddad's brother's diary of his trip to NZ. Enjoyed the old film of lawn mower racing too - with the old fashioned reel mowers.

Another museum I like is in Riverton, Southland. It's a small museum with a lot of local history about early industries, early immigrants, and the Maori population.

Oh and Arrowtown Museum if you have gold fever!

I really liked the Kauri Museum when I visited a few (quite) years ago.

Tuakau has a wee little one, keenly run by volunteers and well looked after.

swaggie;479896 wrote: I really liked the Kauri Museum when I visited a few (quite) years ago.

Dargaville? That's one of my favourites

I just love Palmy North's Te Manawa museum - just great for the grandkids. Includes the Rugby Museum - but that costs whereas the main museum is free.

But a great off the track museum that will really get you going is the Tawhiti Museum outside Hawera;

www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/

Happy travels!

The Thames museum was very interesting 40 years ago. If you get to it, please tell me how it is now, because I have some Maori adzes to donate if it is still operating.

I live in Otaki and love it, but the museum is not really worth a visit unless you are here and looking for time to kill

I like Southward car museum at Paraparaumu, the Kauri museum at Matakohe. I have visited some very interesting private museums too. I liked the quarry at Oamaru where they cut the stone for building.

This one is pretty amazing in Taranaki, all done by one man. I think we've been twice now over the years.
www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz/

Hi Reggit, the meuseum at Harihari is interesting, there was a drs journal from the turn of the century detailing patient treatment , no anaesthetic amputations of the foot, gangrene them take at the knee then the leg then the patient died.
Document s the suffering people went through in those early years.
I also like cemeteries, whole families dying over a month or so...and the number of young men who drowned in their teens. Macabre but puts live into perspective.
If you are on the west last a trip to Waiuta is worth a day

Christchurch : Ferrymead historical park, Christchurch museum in town, Transport museum out Yaldhurst, Airforce museum in Wigram are just a few of many

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kai;479910 wrote: I live in Otaki and love it, but the museum is not really worth a visit unless you are here and looking for time to kill

Stopped there the other day but was closed...did find the chap who does the willow weaving though

Oh wow, check this out!

www.nzmuseums.co.nz

The Fell Engine Museum in Featherston was worth a visit the last time I was in there, but that was a long time ago!
www.fellmuseum.org.nz/
Same for the Fairlie Heritage Museum:
fairlieheritagemuseum.co.nz/museum.html

Today's visit was the Kapiti Aviation Museum, small but interesting, only open Sundays