Galleries and museums

Te Papa Museum
As New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa is widely recognised as the world leader in the realm of innovative and interactive museum experiences. Located on Wellington’s picturesque waterfront, the museum taps into the nation’s cultural diversity through a wildly entertaining range of historic, artistic, educational and contemporary environments and delivers it all with a unique air of ‘cool’.

With five individually themed Discovery Centres specifically geared towards kids, this is one Wellington attraction that knows a sane parent makes for a happy visitor and welcomes the whole family.

As a bi-cultural museum celebrating both Maori and Pakeha (non-Maori) culture, Te Papa showcases a stunning array of Maori treasures right through to the hugely popular Our Space display, which takes visitors on an exploration of New Zealand’s cultural identity via a 14-metre long interactive satellite floor map, an educational digital wall and two thrilling simulator rides. Throw in the 495kg giant squid on display and you can see why these and Te Papa’s other displays have put Wellington on the museums map.

A visit to Te Papa does come with one warning: it’s bursting at the seams with experiences, so you’ll want to allocate the whole day for your visit.

Cable St, Wellington 6011. (+64 4 381 7000 www.tepapa.govt.nz).

PATAKA Gallery
PATAKA is a state-of-the-art museum and gallery located in the picturesque Porirua city, just 15 minutes north of Wellington. What gives PATAKA its edge is the way the space engages with locals and visitors alike. Its innovative layout includes five main gallery spaces, a creative workshop, a café overlooking an authentic Japanese garden and a boutique gift store.

PATAKA’s aim is to celebrate New Zealand’s heritage by presenting Maori, Pacific Island, New Zealand, Asian and international contemporary art and culture on an accessible and engaging platform. Perhaps one of PATAKA’s most impressive initiatives is the creative workshop programme for young people, offered both in and out of school hours.

Recent renovations to PATAKA reflect the culture of the space itself. This is an impressive design that attracts hordes of younger people who use it as a cultural thoroughfare most afternoons – bringing art and culture to a new generation.

Norrie St, Porirua 5022. (+64 4 237 1511 www.pataka.org.nz).

TheNewDowse
The formal way to describe TheNewDowse is as an innovative space that celebrates limitless creative exploration. The common way is as a totally hip exhibition space that plays by its own rules. This edgy creative hub located in Wellington’s Lower Hutt region invites open-minded visitors to her doors.

Set over two levels, TheNewDowse houses 11 exhibition spaces, several activity areas, a top-shelf design store and a fabulous café that is commonly used as a relaxed meeting place for the art-loving folk of the Lower Hutt.

By showcasing both traditional and historical cultural works through to contemporary pieces and progressive exhibitions, TheNewDowse regularly unearths some of the country’s freshest talent. A focus on object and craft-based works has seen this unique space acquire and exhibit more than 3,000 pieces since opening in 1971. Think of it as your ‘go to’ for the next big thing in art.

5 Laings Rd, Lower Hutt, Wellington 5010. (+64 4 570 6500 www.dowse.org.nz).

City Gallery
After a massive nip ’n’ tuck over an 11-month period, the City Gallery has re-emerged as one of New Zealand’s most impressive galleries, offering Wellington three new exhibition spaces within a stunning new building. The Roderick and Gillian Deane Gallery showcases the best in contemporary Maori and Pacific Art. The Michael Hirschfeld Gallery is dedicated to profiling emerging and established Wellington artists and designers, while the Russell Hancock Gallery highlights the civic art collection. City Gallery re-opens 27 September, 2009.
Civic Sq, 101 Wakefield St, Wellington 6011. (+64 4 801 3021 www.citygallery.org.nz).

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