Originally Posted by
bobward
My wife and I are planning a trip to North Island early next year. Having Googled it, I've not been able to find much information on aviation museums there.
Would Pruners be able to offer any advice on what there might be? All I've found thus far is the Museum of Transport and Technology near Auckland.
Surely there is a bit more than this?
Advice appreciated!
Hi,
There is more. The Vintage Aviator, in Masterton (bottom of the North Island) sounds as though it should not be missed.
Vintage Aviator
In Mount Maunganui (a good destination as a whole, with an excellent and surprisingly refined Mexican restaurant, Barrio Brothers)
https://www.classicflyersnz.com/About+Us.html
My Google string was "aviation museums north island nz" but that gives you South Island museums too, frustratingly. Also I found
New Zealand - aviation museum which also has both islands, but with a map and a determination not to be fazed by NZ place names, it won't take long.
In Auckland, the War Memorial Museum has a Zero and a Spitfire. The top floor display of NZ's wars is an interesting example of museology. They don't have a hell of a lot of artefacts, and there's a strong near-pacifist feeling in NZ, but they've managed a display which neither glorifies nor cheapens war, and isn't wishy-washy. They've also got early footage of a flying boat training school, and small flying boats operating off a (crowded) Takapuna Beach.
I discover that the Navy Museum in Devonport has a couple of aircraft. I haven't been in ages, and indeed I have not been to any of these museums except the Auckland War Memorial and MOTAT. BTW, if going to Devonport from the city, it's a short and beautiful trip on the ferry and a long and tedious journey by car, though once you get to Devonport it's a longish walk or a taxi to get to the Navy Museum. Devonport is a good place to visit, and nearby there are some fortifications with disappearing guns, installed because of the Russian Threat (19th century Russian Threat).
Don't expect Duxford. But MOTAT has some interesting exhibits, and they've now got a decent building to house them (though rather dimly lit).
The other place that might be of interest is Ardmore Aerodrome. The recently restored Mosquito did its first flights there before going off to America, and there's a DC-3 (or C-47, dunno) that does joy flights. I don't think there's a formal display, but if you go there for a flight in the DC-3, you might see something. There's also a DHC-2 Beaver floatplane operator. There were two aircraft, but one was an amphibian and did a wheels down landing on the harbour. I'm not sure if they've got it in the air again.
Oh, there's the Great Big National Museum in Wellington; from the reports of friends who've visited, I don't think it's big on artefacts, but you should look at its list of exhibits. It's called Te Papa.
I can't promise a wealth of aviation history, but there's probably enough to add a bit of spice to a visit. If your interest extends to cars, you might do better. Check out what's on in Napier when you plan to come. They do various things to celebrate the Art Deco, and cars is one of the things.
Have a nice trip. In the North Island, you will get rain. It might be quite hot. It might be quite cold. You do need suncream, SPF30 as a minimum even when the sun's not shining. It will rain. The New Zealand bush doesn't
look hostile, like Australia, but treat it with respect if you intend to walk into it. Go where the guide books tell you, but surprisingly appealing cities (as well as Napier, which is famous) are Whanganui and New Plymouth. Everybody goes to Rotorua, and the smell of sulphur is exhilarating. Have a nice trip.