Nelson Provincial Museum Pupuri Taonga o Te Tai Ao

14/06/2026

“Enthralling.” “Beautifully curated.” “Highly informative.” “A must-see.”

These are just some of the words visitors are using to describe Taku Rau Tīkumu, now on show at Nelson Provincial Museum.

One visitor said they left “inspired by everything on show,” while another described the exhibition as a journey into the Nelson Lakes district, walking in the footsteps of tīpuna and reconnecting with knowledge in a meaningful and accessible way.

Taku Rau Tīkumu is the first exhibition in the world dedicated entirely to tīkumu, a resilient mountain plant bound to generations of knowledge, skill, and care.

Exploring the enduring relationship between people and alpine landscapes, the exhibition features a significant collection of tīkumu taonga and weaves together mātauranga Māori, science, oral histories, photographs, and rare records from across Aotearoa.

🌼 On now until 2 August
📍 Nelson Provincial Museum

Plan your visit: https://www.nelsonmuseum.co.nz/what-is-on/takurautikumu

Don’t miss this beautiful and powerful exhibition.

📷 Shernade Photography

11/06/2026

Kia ora koutou,

Please note there will be no Toi Ahiahi session on Wednesday 17 June.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve loved seeing tamariki get creative with small paper sculptures, plant monoprints, and new pastel techniques. Check out these snaps of some of their creations.

Toi Ahiahi will be back as usual the following week, on Wednesday 24 June 🌈

11/06/2026

As we prepare for the Gala Royale Black Tie Dinner & Charity Auction this Saturday, we want to take a moment to thank the incredible supporters who have helped bring this special evening to life.

With more than 200 supporters involved, Gala Royale is a true community effort. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and belief in the future of our regional heritage collection mean so much.

We would especially like to acknowledge our key sponsors:
Tasman District Council - Te Kaunihera o te tai o Aorere, Nelson City Council, Lottery Grants Board, Rātā Foundation, Bett Trust, New World Nelson City , Coman Construction & Property Solutions, Scott Construction Nelson, Nelson Historical Society, Nelson New Zealand, City of Nelson Civic Trust, The McKee Charitable Trust. Thank you for your valued support and commitment to this important kaupapa. We look forward to recognising many more of the supporters who have helped make Gala Royale possible.

All funds raised will directly support the development of the new Archives, Research and Collections (ARC) Facility in Richmond, along with the care, relocation, and protection of the Nelson Tasman regional heritage collection, ensuring these taonga are safeguarded for generations to come.

📅 Saturday 13 June 2026 | 5.30pm
📍 Rutherford Hotel

10/06/2026

Building has begun on our new ARC facility

We are thrilled to share that construction of the new Archives, Research, and Collections (ARC) storage facility in Richmond is now underway.

This is a significant moment for the care of our region’s taonga and heritage collections. On Monday morning, the first of 24 concrete wall panels was moved onto site, marking the official start of the build.

The milestone was acknowledged on site with Tasman Mayor Tim King, Nelson Deputy Mayor Pete Rainey, representatives from Tasman Bays Heritage Trust, and Scott Construction.

“This is a significant milestone for our organisation, our region, and everyone who has contributed to making this project a reality,” says Venus Guy, Chair of Tasman Bays Heritage Trust.

“I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved so far. I would also like to acknowledge both Tasman District Council and Nelson City Council for their ongoing support and commitment to this project.”

The new ARC facility will provide secure, climate-controlled, museum-standard storage and specialist collection spaces, helping safeguard more than 1.5 million collection items for generations to come.

It will also include a research room, kai facilities, a workshop and presentation area, and a dedicated culturally appropriate space where iwi and whānau can connect and wānanga with taonga.

With construction now underway, our focus turns to the next vital step - moving the collection from the old Isel Park facility into its new home. We need to raise $1.2 million to support the specialist packing, cataloguing, relocation and shelving for the regional heritage collection.

Help us move the things that move us all.

Your support will help the ARC facility open ready to protect the heritage of Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui from day one, and create a lasting legacy for future generations.

Donate or learn more about supporting ARC:
https://www.nelsonmuseum.co.nz/about-arc

Together, we can help preserve what cannot be replaced.

09/06/2026

🎷✨ We're thrilled to welcome the fabulous Nelson Colleges Combined Jazz Band to our Gala Royale Black Tie Dinner & Charity Auction this weekend!

These talented young musicians will be warming up the evening with an outstanding selection of jazz tunes, setting the perfect atmosphere for a memorable night of celebration, community, and giving.

The Nelson Museum is proud to support emerging entertainers and provide opportunities for young people to showcase their talents to our community. We can't wait to share their incredible music with our guests and celebrate the next generation of performers.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of elegance, entertainment, and generosity.

08/06/2026

125 Years on the Water: Port Nelson Through Time

Port Nelson wharves 1908. The Barque Don, last top-sail schooner to visit Port Nelson, is tied up to the inside of the Railway Wharf. Foreground lies the old Albion wharf. Reclamation is underway to link the two wharves.



Nelson Provincial Museum, ‘Wharves, Nelson, F N Jones, G2366-1/1.

07/06/2026

Tīkumu under the microscope

Hidden within this beautiful mountain daisy is a fibre prized for its warmth, softness, natural insulation and water-repellent qualities.

Unlike many weaving plants such as harakeke, kiekie and tī kōuka, tīkumu is a dicotyledon. Its leaves reveal a remarkable combination of strength and softness, shaped by alpine extremes.

Under magnification, the leaf becomes a world of hidden design. A paper-thin upper surface, called the pellicule, helps protect it from wind, frost and intense ultraviolet light. Beneath it, the dense underside, or tomentum, is made up of fine hollow hairs that trap air, creating insulation in a similar way to polar bear fur.

This structure helps tīkumu survive snow and freezing temperatures, while giving rau tīkumu the qualities long prized by weavers: warmth, lightness and resilience.

Under ultraviolet light, chlorophyll glows red, vascular bundles shine blue and the plant’s inner pathways appear, carrying water and nutrients through tightly organised cells.

See tīkumu in a whole new way in Taku Rau Tīkumu, the world’s first exhibition dedicated entirely to the mountain daisy tīkumu.

On display at the Nelson Provincial Museum until 2 August.

Plan your visit: https://www.nelsonmuseum.co.nz/what-is-on/takurautikumu

05/06/2026

Mīharo ✨

We’re proud to see Taku Rau Tīkumu featured by RNZ. Read the article below to discover more about the remarkable story of tīkumu and this unique exhibition.

Amazing mahi from exhibition curators Hamuera Manihera and Naomi Aporo-Manihera, alongside the team at Nelson Provincial Museum, in bringing this kaupapa to life. On now until 2 August.

One would not expect a beautiful mountain daisy to produce such warm and soft fibre that even has thermal and water repellant properties, Aporo-Manihera said.