Explore taonga Māori on Collections Online

VisitToro mai

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    Exhibitions

    Exhibitions

    Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment. See Gallipoli through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders. Immerse yourself in a room of colour. Hear extraordinary stories from young refugees.

  • An image of stylised blue Christmas decorations and trees on an orange background
    Events

    Events

    Our exciting programme of events runs all year. Watch song and dance performances, join in with kids activities and cultural days, hear from our experts, and much more.

  • Screenshot of video. A man in Te Papa Host uniform signs “hello”
    NZSL – plan your visit

    NZSL – plan your visit

    Here’s what you need to know before you visit Te Papa – from opening hours to car parking.

  • Te Papa External View. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa
    Plan your visit

    Plan your visit

    Get directions, download the museum map, find out about our parking facilities, reserve a wheelchair, and more.

Bird of the Year 2020: KākāpōTe Manu Rongonui o Te Tau 2020: Kākāpō

  • Specimen of a kākāpō, standing on a branch
    Kākāpō, Strigops habroptilus

    Kākāpō, Strigops habroptilus

    Kākāpō are the biggest parrots in the world and lead very strange lives! They sleep all day in the bush and forage at night. Read about the kākāpō.

    Collections Online

  • Kākāpō specimen, from behind with its wings outstretched to show its feathers
    The mating system of the kākāpō

    The mating system of the kākāpō

    Kākāpō are among the few birds that run a kind of ‘seduction market’. Read about their mating ritual, which involves trance-like states and deep booming or honking noises.

    Collections Online

  • Specimen of a kākāpō egg
    Saving the kākāpō

    Saving the kākāpō

    Read about how human settlement has impacted kākāpō and the efforts being made to restore their populations.

    Collections Online

  • Photo of an adult kākāpō in the wild
    Kākāpō on NZ Birds Online

    Kākāpō on NZ Birds Online

    Everything you need to know about the kākāpō. Listen to its call, see a map of its distribution, and view user-submitted photos of kākāpō in the wild.

  • Stuffed soft toy kākāpō
    ‘Little Robbie’ kākāpō soft sculpture

    ‘Little Robbie’ kākāpō soft sculpture

    This kākāpō soft sculpture was made by Sayraphim Lothian, who works in the field of craftivism. In 2014, she made 124 hand-sewn kākāpō soft sculptures and left them around the streets of Christchurch for people to find and take home in an act of guerrilla kindness.

    Collections Online

Explore Te Papa at homeToroa Te Papa i te kāinga

  • Close up of a cloak, showing the detail of its design. It is predominantly black with red and earth coloured triangles forming a wave across the cloak
    Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

    Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

    For Te Wiki o te Reo Māori we’re highlighting a taonga from the collection. Come back frequently to find new ones!

  • Two people looking at the camera
    Raranga Matihiko TV – Home learning

    Raranga Matihiko TV – Home learning

    The Raranga Matihiko team and our Learning team have created 16 episodes, designed for home learning for junior and senior students, that weave digital technologies around museum taonga, and exploring kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection).

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    The Current

    The Current

    Add your voice to The Current and help solve New Zealand’s toughest nature challenges. We’ll share your anonymous response with researchers via data.govt.nz.

  • Two people seated look into the camera – one a man in an open shirt with a forest on it and denim jacket, the other a man in makeup wearing a blue shirt with a map of New Zealand on it
    LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

    LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

    Explore queer objects, artworks, and stories in Te Papa’s collections and discover more about the rich histories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s LGBTQI+ communities and icons – including the AIDS Quilt, Carmen Rupe, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

  • Sailing vessel
    Voyage and discovery in the Pacific

    Voyage and discovery in the Pacific

    The history of the discovery of Aotearoa New Zealand goes back a millennium and contains the stories of many fine explorers, from Kupe to Cook. Here, explore Pacific exploration and European colonisation through our taonga, kōrero, and events.

  • A kaka, a type of parrot with red under its wings
    Birds of New Zealand

    Birds of New Zealand

    Birds are an important part of New Zealand's nationhood. We are the only nation where the people are colloquially known by a bird name – 'Kiwi'.

  • Green fence with a hand-painted sign on it saying, 'Give nothing to racism' in green and black.
    Antiracism and activism

    Antiracism and activism

    Articles on protest, decolonisation, and antiracism from our experts and across the web.

  • A man receiving a Samoan tatoo in Te Papa
    Sāmoan tatau (tattoo) meanings, stories, tools, and history

    Sāmoan tatau (tattoo) meanings, stories, tools, and history

    Pacific curator Sean Mallon and Sāmoan tatau artists Sulu’ape Steve Looney and Tuigamala Andy Tauafiafi talk about the meanings and history of Sāmoan tattooing.

  • Close-up of 1905 All Blacks jersey, featuring a brown crest on the top and a large silver fern on the left-hand side. The jersey is black
    The significance of the silver fern

    The significance of the silver fern

    The ‘silver fern’ (Cyathea dealbata) – ponga in te reo Māori – is a species of tree fern only found in New Zealand, and as such has become a potent symbol.

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