Matakohe – Kauri Culture and Historic Places

Much of Matakohe revolves around the kauri tree and the stories associated with it. The Kauri Museum combines a significant collection of timber, kauri gum and artefacts from the kauri timber and kauri gum industries with engaging exhibitions. Visitors whose main interest is culture and local history will find a clear focus here; historic buildings and other museum experiences add to the picture.

Kauri History on Display

The collection tells the story of the kauri timber and kauri gum industries. The museum also shares stories of courage, determination, tragedy and triumph, as well as the role of the kauri tree in the creation of New Zealand. A striking exhibit in the Volunteers Hall is the Balderston Kauri: a 22.5-metre-long slab of kauri timber. In the Sterling Wing, a fully furnished six-room house from the period between 1880 and 1920 has been recreated. Life-size figures in period clothing are part of the display.

The work processes are also brought to life: a full-scale, true-to-scale reconstruction of a steam-powered sawmill moves slowly. This lets visitors watch as trees are turned into usable timber. The Forest Walkway leads through a forest of tall lightbox trees, accompanied by a natural soundscape of birdsong and sounds from the native bush. These different impressions provide distinct points of interest: on one hand, historic rooms and industrial history; on the other, an immersive presentation of the forest and its sounds.

Houses, School and Church

The Matakohe Post Office exhibition includes dressed figures and original equipment. The Kauri Museum’s Pioneer School was Matakohe’s first school building. Desks, pens, books and maps offer a glimpse of the school’s furnishings. Together with the furnished house in the Sterling Wing, these displays provide different ways to explore everyday life in the past, without every exhibition covering the same subject.

Outside the museum, Totara House and the Matakohe Pioneer Church are historic buildings made of kauri timber. Totara House is an 1896 kauri villa set in historic gardens. George and Emily Smith’s family lived in the house for more than 120 years; it has been carefully preserved. At Matakohe Wharf Road, it is listed as historic heritage in the Kaipara District Plan’s heritage register. The Pioneer Church on Church Road is also on this register. The well-preserved kauri timber church dates from 1866–1867. It is suitable for intimate ceremonies with up to 50 guests and as a location for wedding photos.

Planning Your Visit and Stay

The Kauri Museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, except on Christmas Day. By prior arrangement, it offers kauri gum polishing workshops for school groups and other small groups. The Gumdiggers Café in Matakohe caters for booked groups; special meals are available with advance reservations. If you want to include these offerings in your stay, you can take the relevant arrangements or reservations into account when planning.

The Kauri Museum is located on the Ancient Kauri Trail to Waipoua Kauri Forest and on the Twin Coast Discovery Highway. When choosing a holiday rental, you can therefore first decide whether you want to visit Matakohe for its kauri exhibitions, historic buildings or both. The museum’s described areas offer several distinct points of interest, while Totara House and the Pioneer Church add further historic places in the town.

More regional pages: Kaikohe, Lake Ohia, Kaeo, Awanui, Rawhiti, Whangaruru, Cable Bay, Ruakaka.

For the main travel overview: Northland.