Responsible travel: Auckland – Upper North Island road trip - DAY 1

Kauri Museum – early to mid afternoon

Find out what happened to the majestic kauri, who chopped down the forest and why. Matakohe is the home to the fabulous Kauri Museum and the adjoining kauri framed 19th century church and school house. The stunning display of heritage roses draws visitors every spring to the area.

HIGHLIGHTS

Kauri Museum
Heritage Matakohe and town walk

LOCATION

The town is on the tidal estuary of the Matakohe River, tributary of Arapaoa River flows into the vast Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 12 traverses the small town

@KauriMuseum

MATAKOHE KAURI MUSEUM

The Kauri Museum narrates the stories of European settlers and Maoris involved in the kauri timber logging industry. Highlights include an interactive hands-on displays; the largest collection of Kauri Gum in the world; Real Steam Sawmill with moving saws, flat belts, countershafts, pulleys and steam engines; huge Kauri logs and real equipment for the transporting and milling of Kauri Timber, and collecting Kauri Gum; and a magnificent collection of antique Kauri furniture. The grounds have an ethnographic collection of the school house and original church. The grounds are known for their extensive nineteenth century rose collection.

MATAKOHE PIONEER CHURCH

Built 1866 the kauri timber church is exquisite with its surrounding rose garden. The church is available for hire as a location for wedding photographs or ceremonies.

MATAKOHE POST OFFICE

The post office functioned between 1909 – 1988 as the community hub. The building is built from locally milled kauri. The post office museum has displays of featured models and original equipment. It includes a fascinating exhibition of old telephones and the manual telephone exchange in the Postmaster’s Residence.

COATES MEMORIAL CHURCH & MATAKOHE CEMETERY

The Coates Memorial Church is available for weddings and funerals. The Church is set in the historic Matakohe Cemetery which is open to the public and is the resting place of both early families to the area and local residents.

TOTARA HOUSE

A pioneer home is now a living museum with the original coal ranges, kauri bench kitchen tops, native timber paneling, photographs of bullock teams in the billiard room and hand crafted

@The Kauri Museum

Return to Itinerary