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Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park is just 5 minutes drive from the city . The 25 hectare park provides picnic areas, bush walks and a home to Kakama the kiwi in the kiwi house. Visitors may also enjoy the historic Clarke homestead (1886), and the world famous Native Bird Recovery Center.

The Museum houses an important collection of early Maori and European artefacts from Northland. Special & touring exhibitions are a regular feature at the Museum, past exhibitions have included 'Respect' a travelling hip-hop exhibition from the Dowse Art Museum and recently 'Collectamania' which celebrated the sometimes obsessive world of the collector.

One of the most popular visitor attractions at the park is the kiwi house, where you can get up close to a live kiwi. The kiwi is a nocturnal animal and the kiwi house is kept dark so that visitors can see the bird in its natural environment. Guided tours explain the habitat and territorial behaviour of kiwi and the impact of predators on this national icon. A well organised shop also offers a range of souvenirs suitable as gifts of momentos. Added wildlife attractions are gheckos, a morepork, and in the summer monarch butterflies.

Hours are 10am - 4pm every day. Closed Christmas Day.

Every year Labour weekend sees the return of the annual Live Day programme at Whangarei Museum and Heritage Park. From Labour weekend to April the park celebrates a monthly Live Day billed as Whangarei’s "Big Day Out for the whole family." Since the late 1970s Live Days have become an institution at Heritage Park. Most popular of all the activities with kids are the rides- steam train, miniature train, fire engine, bullock sled, horse and cart, haycart and farmtruck. Refreshments are catered for by the Vintage Car Club sandwich bar, sausage sizzles, candyfloss and coffee vendors, and drink/icecream sales at the museum. Or you can bring a picnic and enjoy the ambience of Clarke Homestead with gorgeous views over the city and harbour, and picnic tables with plenty of shade from the established trees.

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