Matakohe - Kauri Museum New Zealand Is
Matakohe’s Claim to Fame

The towering kauri, world’s second largest tree and unique to New Zealand, takes center stage at Matakohe - Kauri Museum, a pastoral harbor town 90 minutes from Auckland on the North Island travel map.

The tree museum, a most amazing theme attraction and this town’s Qualmark rated focal point and a must see for New Zealand vacation travelers seeking natural science and history museum exhibits.

Matakohe - Kauri Museum displays exceptional collections of kauri gum (largest in the world), timber products, antique kauri furniture, restored machinery, heritage building replicas, and kauri products while documenting the history of kauri industry and local pioneers.

The museum’s historical building complex includes Gumdiggers Café, which features homemade food in an appropriate countryside atmosphere that photos and artifacts of old gum-digging days, alongside the old church and post office.

Matakohe - Kauri Museum fascinates 95,000 visitors a year with its pioneer settler and giant kauri tree history, outstanding museum collections, and fantastic museum shop. It is the largest under-cover attraction in the Northland and also houses the largest collection of kauri products in New Zealand.

The extensive product inventory includes kauri bowls, salt and pepper shakers, carvings, jewelry, furniture,books, videos, and more. There’s even a complete online shop on the museum’s website at http://www.kauri-museum.com/. Here, you can purchase great New Zealand gifts for friends and family.

Newest displays at Matakohe - Kauri Museum are its Arts Trail, a collection of paintings, kauri sculptures and crafts by New Zealand artists, scattered throughout the museum. A life sized bullock team mural augments the museum’s sawmill display. Operational farm machinery displays depict the region’s settlement history.

Large kauri sculptures includes the “Transition Gateway” exhibit and a unique seat carved out of a 35,000 year old stump are other new displays. The museum also features an ecological photo display of kauri forest restoration.

Other interesting displays are the old kauri-built post office, history of gum diggers, Otamatea Boarding House, a real saw milll, large mill machinery, and various rooms of a colonial settlement house. Mannequins depict period people, with facial imprints taken from descendants of the original area settlers.

Various museum wings feature different collections. At Voluneers Hall is the world’s largest kauri slab, 22.5 meters long. The largest known kauri is also represented by its gigantic rings. Smith Hall shows a blacksmith’s workshop and pioneer memorabilia plus a gumdigger’s hut and model dam.

Sterling Wing recreates a 6-room 1900 period home. Kauri furniture, timber panels, carvings, beadwork, lace, embroidery, dolls and more are found in the Tudor Collins Wing.