Our Northland Taonga at Heritage Park

Last week, Rooms 11 and 14 visited Heritage Park.  Our objective was to learn more about the many special taonga/treasures we have in Northland.  Chris, Gerry and Kevin were our hosts for the day.  All three men spoke with a high degree of knowledge about these taonga, with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability.  A special thanks to those parents and caregivers who helped make this day so enjoyable.  Enjoy reading below about Heritage Park (ref: www.kiwinorth.co.nz).

Dr Alexander Clarke and his family arrived from England and built a kauri homestead and out buildings including a barn, butchery, laundry, dairy and milking parlour. Three generations of the Clarke family owned the property and worked it as a farm for nearly 90 years. The Clarke Homestead was purchased by the museum in the 1972 and provides us with a unique insight into early settler life. There are very few original family homes -such as this - that exist as museums, together with associated buildings, in their original environment, and contain the paraphernalia and possessions of one family.

Oruaiti Chapel, c1859

Believed to be the smallest octagonal chapel in New Zealand, and possibly the world, is made from a single kauri log. It was originally situated in Doubtless Bay in the Far North. The Chapel was moved to the Heritage Park in the 1980s and is used for special occasions such as weddings, christenings and seasonal celebrations.

Jane Mander Study, c1908

One of New Zealand’s most well known authors Jane Mander wrote in this unusual turret which was originally located on the roof of her family home in Whangarei. The Study is used as a photographic backdrop for weddings and other special occasions.

Inside the Kiwi House

Day is transformed into night inside our state of the art Kiwi house. Here you will see the Kiwi foraging for food as they would in the wild. The Kiwi is a nocturnal animal and the Kiwi House is kept dark so that visitors can see the bird in its natural environment.

Tuatara

NZ's most iconic reptile and last living relative of the dinosaurs.

Tuatara is a Maori word meaning "spiny back". Tuatara habitat comprises of coastal forest or scrub with a relatively open under-storey. Like other reptiles, tuatara are cold blooded, which means their temperatures change with the air temperature. Tuatara are nocturnal and prefer cool weather, however they will often bask in the sun to warm their bodies - but they are careful to not over-heat. On warm nights they come out to hunt for food - mainly insects, lizards and seabird eggs and chicks.

Geckos

Kiwi North has a selection of several endemic species.

The gecko’s colouring provides fantastic camouflage; it’s a real test to find them in their enclosures. The Northland and Auckland Green are bright green to blend with the leaves while the Forest Geckos blend with bark and lichen. Their diet consists of invertebrates, nectar and fruit.