In 1862 immigrants from Britain arrived at Port Albert on the Kaipara Harbour and settled in the district, including at nearby Matakohe and Paparoa. Known as Albertlanders, they cleared the land for farming or worked in the kauri logging and gum industries. The Kauri Museum was established in 1962 to celebrate the centenary of their arrival and today it pays tribute to those early pioneers as well as documenting and preserving the history of the kauri industry.
The museum website claims it is the largest covered attraction in Northland and there is certainly plenty to see. Redevelopment over the past two years has just been completed, and the museum now boasts a new entrance, complete with an internal ‘forest walkway’, a Research Centre, and refurbished café.
The museum is divided into several areas. There are rooms displaying kauri furniture, kauri gum, pioneer artefacts, a sawmill, a boarding house, recreated worksites with mannequins, and temporary exhibits. Each area is crammed with objects, information and models and could be a mini-museum on its own. If you’re short of time you can head straight for the areas you’re interested in, otherwise there’s a fairly obvious path to wander along. Allow two or three hours to look at everything and remember your entry fee allows you to come back the following day.
First up is the new entrance and Forest Walkway that provides a visual introduction to Kauri – a national symbol, a creator of wealth,
