Mangawhai Museum — Attraction in North Island

The Mangawhai Museum is a new and modern museum that celebrates life around the harbour from building ships to building sandcastles.

The stories are told with a wonderful collection of graphics, displays and videos that will keep you interested and engaged. So allow plenty of time!

Stories tell of an epic battle of the Maori wars, lost gold bullion still waiting to be found from the second world war, secret gatherings of heavy machinery to defy government regulators and a look at our local natural history around Mangawhai and its harbour including the fight to save the critically...

A magical place, with a splendid Museum now made even better by the arrival of the recently recovered sailing ship the Daring. We were fortunate to be allowed to view that lovely almost-new ship which completed only one voyage before being driven ashore where it became buried in sand for almost 200 years. Good luck to those willing volunteers who intend to complete their work and then put her on permanent exhibition. I'd be happy to make a modest donation if a Give-A-Little Page were to be established! But if you go to see the Daring, be sure to make time to visit the...

Never underestimate what a museum from a smaller town (~1000 residents) could offer, the Mangawhai museum gives you a detailed account of its history, how it was established, how it connected with the region , how it defied nature (and the bureaucracy). Most importantly, the exhibits at Mangawhai museum is a work of love that told us how the Mangawhaites lived. If you are passing through Mangawhai and interested in the local NZ history this is definitely a place to stop by, not only it is money well spent, plus you'll be supporting the...