Auckland Museum and Domain, Auckland

1 more image

There are performances by Maoris introducing of their cultures through to traditional songs and dance and the world famous Haka. When the performance finish you can take photos with the artist and they will take you on a guided tour of the Maori gallery at 11.30 am and 2pm daily. The performances are three times a day at 11 am, 12 pm and 1.30 pm.

2 more images

Rajah the elephant was brought to the museum because he had a bad temper, too dangerous for the zoo keepers to handle and not suitable to take children for rides. For obvious reasons Rajah had to be put down.

4 more images

The ground floor tells the story of Pacific People; Maori, Pakeha, the peoples of Oceania and other newcomers. On this floor it has the largest Maori and Polynesians artifacts collection in the world. Amongst the collection there’s Maori meeting house and long war canoe, Maori carvings, statues, weapons, tools and others. On this floor there’s also a large stuff Indian elephant.

4 more images

I think Auckland (War Memorial) Museum is a must visit. The Museum is located in Auckland Domain on the hill known as Pukekawa. Inside the museum it has three levels. The ground floor is about Maori culture, the first floor is into the natural history of New Zealand and the second floor is the site of commemoration for New Zealanders lost at war.

The Museum open every day from 10am until 5pm, except Christmas Day and Anzac Day (25th April).

The Auckland Domain used to be farm grounds in the late 1800's and was turned into the Domain in the 1900's. It was developed around the cone of an extinct volcano. The is a house located on 509 Parnell Road that was the original farm house for the Auckland Domain that later became an upscale brothal in the early to mid 1900's. It is a large house that has been recently renovated and is currently separated into 4 different apartments. The Auckland Domain also plays host to the Winter Gardens which its most noticable feature is the large reflecting pool with 3 bronze statues. The auckland museum is also located in the Domain and is host to new exhibits all the time.

3 more images

You cannot miss a visit to the Auckland museum while in Auckland.
Getting there is quite simple, catch a Link bus (1.60 NZ$) and the driver will drop you off just in front of the museum.
The entrance to the museum is free, but donations are welcome.
The Maori area is very rich in Maori carvings, and also displays some exemples of Maori buildings and ships. In this area you can also attend a Maori Cultural performance for 25NZ$ per person which I recommend. Be sure to book your place at the admission counter in time, there are only 3 performances per day, and they are often fully booked.
The rest of the museum was not very interesting from my point of view. I would suggest a visit to the other areas to people with young kids, I got the impression that the museum has been conceived for that age range ("antiques" are from the 1980s!!!)
The museum is located in the Parnell area, which is also deserves a visit.

4 more images

The Winter Gardens is a small botanical garden in the Auckland Domain. It was built for the 1913 Auckland Exhibition and is considered as a protected heritage site. It is just a short walk from the Auckland Museum. It's free and great spot for a short stop while visiting the domain.

Even if you are not a fan of museums, this should still be a stop. Foremost, the architecture of the building is just breathtaking. If the facade is already this good, wait till you see what's inside!

Bring yourself or bring your family. This is a place for everyone. There are just so much to see. Established in 1852, Auckland War Memorial Museum is New Zealand's first museum. I was truly impressed. This is one heck of a museum. It tells the story of New Zealand, its place in the Pacific and its people. The Museum is a war memorial for the province of Auckland and holds one of New Zealand's top three heritage libraries. It has pre-eminent Maori and Pacific collections, significant natural history resources and major social and military history collections, as well as decorative arts and pictorial collections. Nature? Walk through the galleries of New Zealand fauna and be truly astounded. History? Immense yourself in the galleries on war and sacrifice. Maori culture? Catch a performance here.

The Museum is open every day from 10am until 5pm, except Christmas Day (25 December)
Anzac Day morning - 6:45am
Adults $5
Children (up to 6 years old) - free

Maori Cultural Performance
Daily 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm
Extra performance at 2.30pm January - April
You'll need to pay to see the performance and you can bundle up both entry and performance tickets.

There is a wonderful cafe within the museum as well as gift shops.