the kauri museum

I expected to find this museum at best, mildly interesting, however upon a recommendation we made the effort to visit & we are so pleased we did. Fascinating, moving, carefully presented, something for everyone, a really great find. Someone else has mentioned that it's one of the best NZ museums & we have to agree, a real gem. Do make the effort to get there.

This is an amazing museum that covers so much. Not just about the trees and the excellent samples of gum but also how people lived and even a complete boarding house. We had a great couple of hours of discovery.

This place is a real gem. An amazing interesting informative fascinating look at early life in NZ and the Northland area. An absolute must see...it is soooo worth the effort to search this lovely spot out and spend a day or two in the area so you can see it all. And the staff were extremely welcoming. The nearby cafe just delicious.

Multiple display areas showing information from the early history of kauris in New Zealand through logging and milling to finished items made from the wood and the gum. In addition to the usual type of exhibits there are videos, display scenes and machinery. I was particularly impressed with a wall that showed the relative diameters of the larger known kauri trees. More expensive than the average museum but well worth the admission price.The nearby cafeteria provided value for money.

This building appeared small on the outside but inside it extended way beyond first impression. How interesting to see and hear about this historic activity and those individuals involved. The machinery exhibits were well worth seeing. Give yourself plenty time as what you see is so absorbing you will be there longer than you think. The attached gift shop has some top quality exhibits and staff are helpful.

This was a stopover enroute to Hokianga and totally absorbed us for a lot longer than anticipated. Thought a tad pricey but full of different exhibits. The kauris are wonderful trees.

The Kauri Museum is north of Auckland. It is enroute to the Giant Kauri Trees in Waipoua Forest on the Twin Coast Discovery Highway. It is run by volunteers and is a credit to them. The detail is excellent, the displays are great. We particularly liked the milking shed and lifelike cow, coming from farming backgrounds. Everything is completed and kept at a very high standard and we enjoyed the press button voices activation and activities throughout the museum. Well done to everyone involved.

Fascinating and extensive displays of Kauri furniture and artefacts. Extremely well documented social history.Great machinery displays and photographs.A bit expensive but you could understand why due to the extent and quality of this heritage museum.Cafe, church, post office and telephone exchange buildings also included in a fascinating visit.

Stopped on a trip up north to a place we spent our childhood. Remembered how much we loved it in the 70s and was not disappointed when showing my kids. The museum has changed a lot and is truly a world class attraction. Our 10 and 4 year old loved it and so did this 45 year old. Highly recommended.

We stopped really for the cafe next door and thought we would just take a quick look....2 hours later we were shooed out as they closed.It a brilliant history of Kauri logging and the collection of Kauri gum in the gum room is fascinating. It is also absorbing about the early settlers and the room interiors the rebuilt boarding house and collections. This is a fantastic museum a must on any visit to the Kauri forests

I had not expected to see such a comprehensive display of all things related to kauri foresting and the early pioneer life in New Zealand. The museum is huge and we easily spent two hours there plus another half hour in the very reasonable Gum Diggers Cafe. The vast displays of machinery, sawing equipment, recreations of housing and occupations and of course the many photographs documenting this era in NZ history leave one quite stunned by how such magnificent forests could be raped and destroyed. This is particularly so after having seen what little remains in the Waipoua Forest and the magnificent Tane Mahuta. It is a museum that all visitors to the North Island should ensure they see. You can pass on all the little local museums but don't miss the Kauri Museum.

We did not expect such a nice and informative museum on this subject in this place.Good to be there and see the wide history of kauri in NZ.Good shop!

This has to be one of the best Museums in NZ. The history of the Kauri Gum and logging industry is fascinating and the museum is laid out so well. It has been extended since I last visited 30 years ago and now has the working saw milling machinery, even interesting for woman.

We made a detour to visit this museum and were not disappointed. The displays are well laid out with interesting information for young and older people. The thing that made it for us was the fact that the faces of the 'dummies' on display were based on real people.

We were there as part of a group tour and had a very interesting talk before going round the museum ourselves at our own pace. There is so much to see, including some fascinating equipment and photographs as well as stunning furniture and artwork made from this beautiful wood. The introductory talk helped put everything into perspective, as it is clear that early settlers did not realise what they were destroying when they cut down the trees to clear land and make their homes from it. Now the trees are being preserved, but their numbers have been greatly reduced because of deforestation in the early years.