Latest news with #MuseumofNewZealand
Canberra Times
5 days ago
- Canberra Times
How to make the most of your trip to Wellington, NZ - come rain, hail or shine
HOW: New Zealand's newest public holiday, Matariki, combines remembrance and planning for the future with winter stargazing and feasting - all in homage to the Maori New Year. Head to the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, on Wellington's waterfront to get acquainted with its traditions and see the long-running Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition about World War I. Go to Sky Stadium to see the All Blacks in action and for international football. Stay handy at the Quest Apartment Hotels on Lambton Quay - it's less than a kilometre's walk to the stadium. In August, watch Sky Stadium transform into Beervana, a buzzy craft beer festival. If food, glorious food (and drink) is what you travel for, then visit the Wellington on a Plate website early to book Beervana tickets and your pick of the August festival's 100-plus events. A drag cabaret and a finger-lickingly delish four-course meal at Floriditas on Cuba Street are just for starters. Stay at Ohtel for easy access to the food offerings at Wellington's Harbourside Market, the city's oldest, held every Sunday. The four-storey boutique hotel looks out to Oriental Parade and is curated for those with finer tastes. Think: mid-century furniture and stunning New Zealand artwork throughout.
NZ Herald
03-08-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Te Papa forecasts $13m deficit, downgrades visitor targets
'Te Papa does not generate enough funding to cover required capital investments to maintain Te Papa's building and experience assets [...] to manage inflationary costs, we will be examining ways to deliver our services as efficiently as possible in line with the legislated functions set out in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Act 1992.' As a Crown Entity, it receives $44 million in funding each year from the Government and must raise at least $30 million on top of that to stay afloat, made up of partnerships, philanthropy and donations, and its commercial activities like corporate functions. 'Te Papa's commercial revenue is impacted by the current economic conditions, with the most significant commercial revenue stream, corporate functions also being impacted by the reduction in Public Sector spend.' Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, Wellington, viewed from Lambton Harbour. Photo / Mark Mitchell Before accounting for depreciation of its assets, the museum recorded a surplus of $1.98m, saying the fact the Government does not fund Te Papa for depreciation is why it has observed such losses. Te Papa spokeswoman Kate Camp said the entity 'has a large number of fixed costs with large, specialised buildings, and collections that require expert care and housing'. 'Some Crown agencies are funded for depreciation, but Te Papa is not,' Camp said. Kate Camp. Photo / Ebony Lamb Camp said the slow recovery in the tourism sector has seen the museum take a hit, with the market being at only about 85% of where it was pre-Covid. 'New revenue streams will come from building on existing offerings like guided tours and paid-for exhibitions.' It is considering charging for more experiences, Camp said, but maintained entry to Te Papa will always remain free for New Zealanders. As for whether the entity would be seeking further Government funding to support its financial recovery, Camp said they are 'always involved in active dialogue with our monitoring agency (Ministry for Culture and Heritage) about what we deliver and the resources required'. Te Papa says maintenance and depreciation of its large, specialised buildings are responsible for its financial struggles. Photo / Mark Mitchell It comes a year after Te Papa first announced it was introducing a $35 international visitor fee, citing the increased cost of energy, insurance and staffing. The charge was implemented in September last year and reportedly brought in $750,000 in its first two months. Camp said the new fee is delivering in line with targets and is projected to raise approximately $3m over the first 12 months. The museum is hoping for a 3% increase in international visitor entry, citing growth from international markets as a 'new focus' for the organisation. Board Chair Chris Swasbrook said Te Papa earns almost half its annual income itself and has a 'continual focus on achieving operating efficiencies for the taxpayer'. Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith holds the responsibility for Te Papa and said the museum's finances are an 'operational matter', but noted the Government 'expects all its entities to operate as efficiently and effectively as any other private business'. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell While the museum's financials paint a less than rosy picture, it continues to perform well in visitor satisfaction with more than 97% of adult visitors reporting being 'satisfied' to 'extremely satisfied' for overall museum experience during their visit in the last financial year. Last month it was announced as the number one tourist attraction in New Zealand for the second year running and was named in the top 1% 'Best of the Best attractions worldwide' by Trip Advisor. The tourism sector continues to struggle post-Covid, with the latest International Visitor Survey showing spending by international tourists had jumped 9.2% in the last year to $12.2 billion but still remains below pre-Covid levels. In Wellington specifically, the sector contributed $862.9m towards the capital city's GDP in 2024, making up 2.5% of Wellington's economic output, Infometrics data shows. In 2000, that number was 3.2%. Tourism hasn't grown as a sector in Wellington at the same level of other centres, with the economic output in Wellington City's tourism sector increasing by only 2.2% in 2024, compared with an increase of 10.2% for New Zealand as a whole. Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. He can be emailed at
Time Out Dubai
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
Time's running out to see Sharjah Biennial 16
One of the biggest contemporary art exhibitions in the UAE is ending soon, so it's time to carve out some time this weekend. Sharjah Biennial 16, under the title to carry will come to a close on Sunday June 15. Until then, you can see the works in multiple venues across the city in everything from heritage buildings to public courtyards at Sharjah City, Al Hamriyah, Al Dhaid, Kalba and more. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation What is it? With more than 650 works by over 190 artists and over 200 brand-new commissions, it's a rich, multi-voiced conversation, spread across the city in everything from heritage buildings to public courtyards. Curated by five voices from different backgrounds and practices, the experience is all about allowing the art, thoughts and conversations to unfold. Exploring the exhibition There are free guided tours available, whether you're going solo or as part of a group. Sign up for a free tour here: You can even hop on a free Sunday shuttle from Al Mureijah Square at 2pm, with routes heading to both Kalba and Al Hamriyah. That's your transport and your tour sorted. Michael Parekōwhai, He Kōrero Pūrākau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: Story of a New Zealand river, 2011. Collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic Play Michael Parekōwhai's Steinway grand piano There are also unexpected surprises, like He Kōrero Pūrākau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: Story of a New Zealand river which features a carved Steinway grand piano by artist Michael Parekōwhai. And it's just for show, trained pianists can actually book a slot to play it, activating the sculpture through their own interpretation. Book your slots on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until June 15, 2025. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation Listen to the exhibition For those who prefer a more relaxed kind of art immersion, there's always Biennial Bytes 2, the podcast offering behind-the-scenes chats with participating artists. Episodes drop every Monday on Apple, Spotify, Anghami, Google and other podcast platforms, or you can catch up via And when you're ready for a break, head to Fen Café & Restaurant for a snack or browse the Sharjah Art Shops for souvenirs and books. A little something to carry home with you, perhaps? Entry to Sharjah Biennial 16 is completely free, and doors are open Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 9pm, and on Fridays from 4pm to 9pm. See you there?
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Glacial Glass Squid Filmed for the First Time In This Beautiful Footage
In January, the Schmidt Ocean Institute was on a research expedition in the Bellingshausen Sea near Antarctica. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, because a massive slab of an iceberg had just calved off the George VI ice shelf and it was the first time scientists were able to have a look at what goes on down there in the hours and days after a calving event of that size. While they found many interesting things floating around down there, a few stood out. The one that stood out the most was the first-ever footage of an exceedingly rare creature called the Galiteuthis glacialis, a glacial glass squid to the layperson. The expedition, which took place over 35 days, had deep-sea expert named Dr. Thom Linley from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa along for the ride. As he was poring over the feed from the ROV making its way along the never-before-seen piece of seafloor, he spotted the glacial glass squid. At 2,254 feet deep, he was sure that he was the watching the first footage of a live specimen ever. 'In the footage,' a press release reads, 'the transparent G. glacialis positions its arms loosely above its head, similar to the cockatoo pose commonly observed in other glass squids… G. glacialis is a glass squid species that has never been seen alive in its natural environment before.' Amazingly, the glacial glass squid wasn't the only first-ever footage the researchers managed to catch. They also filmed the very first footage of a colossal squid. It's a testament to just how much there is to learn about our planet. 'The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable and shows how little we have seen of the magnificent inhabitants of the Southern Ocean,' said Schmidt Ocean Institute's executive director, Dr. Jyotika Virmani. 'Fortunately, we caught enough high-resolution imagery of these creatures to allow the global experts, who were not on the vessel, to identify both species.'
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sheep, cattle and sequins: the enigmatic New Zealand farmer behind a famed 1970s fashion collection
In the 1970s, farmer and war veteran Eden Hore raised the eyebrows of his neighbours when he began collecting what he described as 'high and exotic fashion'. Shimmering sequins, delicate tulle and frothy chiffon were not what one expected to find on a sheep and cattle farm. 'I've always been a bit different. A bachelor with all these dresses,' said the late Hore, who ran a sheep and cattle farm in Central Otago in New Zealand's South Island before his death in 1997. It was a time when not even museums or art galleries in New Zealand were building these kinds of collections. And yet, in 1975 a converted tractor shed on the rolling tussocked hills of Central Otago's remote Māniatoto region became a makeshift fashion museum housing what is now recognised as one of the most significant collections of its kind in Australasia. A new book and exhibition celebrate Hore's life and fashion collection, and also provides a snapshot of New Zealand in the 1970s and 80s. Hore's niece Jo Dowling, who helped out on the farm during the school holidays in the 1990s, says he was a pioneer in many ways. 'He was the first to do a lot of things in farming, like top dressing with a plane, catching wild deer for his farm, running his farm tours and then his garment collection,' Dowling says. 'He was his own unique person and some of his family couldn't believe he was collecting gowns. It's not the thing a man usually does.' An enigmatic man of contradictions, equally comfortable wearing the customary farming attire of homespun woollen jerseys, moleskins and gumboots, Hore also loved to rock a bold leopard print shirt or batik fabrics down at the local pub. In 1963 he was invited by his friend, the country singer John Grenell, to accompany him for moral support to the Miss New Zealand Pageant where the shy Grenell was to perform. Hore found himself backstage assisting with the show and was bewitched by the frocks and razzle. Dress historian and honorary curator for the dress collection at Tūhura Otago Museum, Jane Malthus, is the co-author of Central Otago Couture: The Eden Hore Collection, which tells Hore's remarkable story. Malthus, who has worked with the collection since the 1980s, remembers Hore as a quiet man who was driven by his own vision. 'He didn't care what other people thought of him. He was willing to stand out in the crowd,' she says. Claire Regnault, the senior curator at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and co-author of the book, agrees. 'He was confident enough to step outside the box and be himself in an era when that wasn't really done.' Hore's stock agent, Ren Lothian once said, 'This frock thing … wasn't the normal for a cocky in those days, not in the Mānaiatoto.' Born in Naseby in Central Otago in 1919, Hore left school at 13 and worked mustering on farms until he was called up in the second world war. In 1947, he bought Glenshee – an 8,100-hectare farm and its 4,000 sheep and homestead 8km from Naseby. Describing himself as an introvert, the chain-smoking Hore was known for his hard drinking, which probably stemmed from postwar trauma and the tragic death of his 13-year-old adopted daughter. He was also a hard worker, once boasting that he drove a tractor for 22 hours. An innovative farmer and stockman, Hore was the first to bring cattle in the 1970s to the mostly sheep country. Malthus says Hore's interest in textiles and fashion stemmed from his desire to know more about what could become of farm products such as wool, cattle skin and sheepskin. A mid-1970s sheep leather pantsuit in pine green is a striking example of farm materials going on to have an inventive life. When Hore died aged 78, he left his vast couture collection to his nephew. In 2013, the Central Otago District Council bought the collection of 226 garments plus accessories such as hats, shoes and costume jewellery for $40,000. Regnault says Hore was attracted to sheers, sequins and Lurex, so the collection is distinctive of his own taste. But what unifies the garments is an emphasis on striking fabrics, textures, bold colours and exquisite detailing. 'They're very characterful clothes. As soon as you see them you can imagine a story, a fantasy around them,' she says. Hore had a keen eye for a good frock and a desire to inject a splash of exuberant colour in an otherwise austere, vast dry landscape. 'When you think of drab New Zealand at that time, he was creating this strange little oasis in the middle of nowhere. A magical world you stepped into,' says Regnault. With his philanthropic community-focused spirit, Hore was a pioneer of rural tourism. When a railway line created a bypass, making the area a forgotten backwater, Eden wanted to attract tourism to the region. He also hosted garden parties and fashion shows to fundraise for the charity Plunket, churches and community groups. And he had other collections he would showcase, of taxidermised animals, imported exotic animals and collectible ceramic Jim Beam decanters. 'He really was a man before his time. He was very much, 'You do you, and I'll do me,'' says Regnault. 'Eden was trying to create something magical in this country at the bottom of the world.' Central Otago Couture: The Eden Hore Collection by Jane Malthus and Claire Regnault, photographs by Derek Henderson (Te Papa Press) Eden in Dunedin an exhibition showcasing highlights from the Eden Hore collection opens at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum 2 April
