Museums Aotearoa Competitors

Te Papa's photography collection contains over 800,000 rare and beautiful images, including Maori and Pacific taonga (treasures), and vintage shots of New Zealand's dramatic history and culture. You'll find fascinating photos of New Zealand's rich flora and fauna, and some hauntingly powerful images of our people and their land. Beautiful artefacts, objects, and pieces of art, both historical and contemporary, can also be found in Te Papa's photo collection. You can order a copy of images from our collection by browsing www.mediasalesandlicensing@tepapa.co.nz and then selecting "Buy of license this image". Te Papa also holds the collection of pre-eminent twentienth-century New Zealand photographer, Brian Brake. Te Papa holds several hundred hours of deep sea footage available to licence. Taken at seven locations around New Zealand from depths of 50 metres to 2000 metres. Includes unique and interesting behaviours of many species. Includes footage of large Ghost Sharks, Hagfish slime defence mechanism, Squid fighting and inking as well as multitude of other marine life.

Tāmaki Paenga Hira - Auckland War Memorial Museum, is a major New Zealand and Auckland cultural institution. It comprises the War Memorial for the Auckland region and an encyclopedic museum, featuring extensive natural sciences and human history collections. The Museum is largely funded by Auckland residents but is also increasing its self-generated commercial revenue. The Museum is fully committed to help the city achieve the aspirations of the Auckland Plan by serving diverse audiences onsite, online and out in the communities of Auckland. The Museum seeks to play a leading role in the cultural and creative life of the city, and contribute strongly as a research and educational institution, tourist destination, sustainability leader and partner, seeking improved social outcomes for all residents. The Museum is located within the grounds of Auckland Domain, and is housed within a building with major cultural heritage significance. In late 2012, the publication of Future Museum began a new era for Tāmaki Paenga Hira. A strategic response to the Auckland Plan, Future Museum looks forward two decades and provides the framework and direction for exciting initiatives which will be set out in successive Annual Plans of the Museum.

Canterbury Museum is undergoing a major redevelopment. While we're closed, you can see collection highlights, visitor favourites and temporary exhibitions at 66 Gloucester Street in the central city. Entry is free and donations are appreciated. The Māori galleries display treasures and tools from our region’s first people. The Christchurch Street and Victorian Museum recreate the nineteenth-century city. Learn about the heroic explorers of the icy continent and see objects from the Museum’s internationally significant Antarctic collection. Other highlights include the gold-plated motorcycle that belonged to world speedway champion, Ivan Mauger and displays of the now-extinct giant bird, the moa. At the world-famous kiwiana icon, Fred & Myrtle’s Pāua Shell House see more than 1,000 pāua shells, the most you’ll find in any one place. Children will love learning about the natural world in their own area, Discovery. Regular special New Zealand and international exhibitions.