Latest news with #TūhuraOtagoMuseum
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Outreach initiative marking 10th visit
Tūhura Otago Museum may have become a victim of its own success. An initiative that started as a one-off science outreach visit to a school in Niue back in 2018 has grown into an international engagement programme spanning the Pacific. Since that first trip to Niue, the museum has put on science showcases in Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. The problem was, the year after it started, there was a 30% increase in the number of students wanting to study science at NCEA level, and the jump in numbers had swamped the small number of science teachers in the Pacific Islands, museum outreach programme leader Dr Craig Grant said. "There have been some challenges resulting from the success of previous visits, that the team is now trying to address. "We ended up partnering with experts from the University of Otago to run a number of Zoom science sessions, to help with the influx." The partnership was about to go one step further, the University of Otago's biochemistry department donating a range of surplus science lab equipment to schools across the islands, he said. Biochemistry department head Prof Peter Dearden said it was great to see the expos igniting such an interest in science. "But to sustain that, the students need gear to practice science themselves. "We're delighted to be able to help by providing some of our surplus equipment. "Items that are no longer of use to us because of changes in lab tech will still be very useful in Niue — simple things like test tubes aren't that easy to access when you're an island over 3000km away." Dr Grant is about to lead the museum team in another Science Expo in Niue, at Niue High School on June 10-14. He said it would mark the 10th Pacific science engagement tour since that first Niue visit. "It's just snowballed," he said. "Our very first effort was to share the Far from Frozen climate change showcase with Niue High School. "It was really timely and the response we got was fantastic. "One of the community leaders commented they were reliant on social media for their information about climate change, so did not know what to believe or not. "That's a terrible predicament to be in. So, we've made every effort since to keep engaged and share more and more science." Key to the expo's successes had been presenting science in an accessible and hands-on fashion. They were designed to be highly mobile and centred around an important topic or area of science, he said. "Students love the hands-on interactives and demonstrations. "They learn far more by the process of trying and doing, rather than being talked at." The upcoming Niue Expo was titled Tūhura Tuarangi Space Science Showcase, and would feature a piece of space junk from Russian spacecraft Kosmos-482, he said. The probe was launched in 1972, on a mission to land on Venus, but it failed to escape low Earth orbit. It recently made news headlines after it crashed back on Earth. A trail of titanium-based bits of the craft were scattered across Canterbury and North Otago. "It'll be awesome to show the kids a real piece of space junk, alongside some actual meteorites, and get them to reflect on the fact that what they see in the sky at night is not all of nature's making."
Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Midwinter Carnival preparation begins
The Dunedin Midwinter Carnival team has transformed the Meridian Mall with an array of twinkling lantern displays. The annual glow-up of the Meridian, which has been a staunch supporter of the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival for many years, gives the public a chance to get an early taste of the carnival, which will be held on June 27-28, from 4pm-9pm, at First Church. Meridian Mall shoppers will discover a glowing world of pond life, with radiant lily pads, flowers, koi fish and frogs at the entrance, star drops twinkling above the food court, a giant kraken entwined with a glowing ship, and seals on the top floor. These displays are inspired by last year's carnival theme "Creatures of the Deep", and will light up the Meridian Mall until July. Dunedin Midwinter Carnival's team of lantern artists, led by Filipa Crofskey, are hard at work creating new giant lanterns on this year's theme "Wings of Wonder". The public will also be able to take part in small lantern-making workshops from this weekend at the Meridian. Meridian Mall marketing manager Stacey Johnston said the mall was " delighted to provide a welcoming space for the much-loved lantern-making workshops, helping to keep this cherished community tradition glowing brightly". People attending the community workshops will make bumblebees, owls, gulls and a rocket. This year, the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival is also partnering with Tūhura Otago Museum, which will host a lantern-making workshop for adults as part of their "Wine and Design" series. Tūhura Otago Museum senior events co-ordinator Jessica Hatfield said the museum was lucky to be able to collaborate "with such amazing local events and help showcase the mahi that goes into them". Each workshop participant will get free entry to the carnival and be invited to take part in one of the smaller processions which will wind around the grounds of First Church. • Workshop timings: Family workshops will be held at the Meridian Mall on May 25-26, June 1-2, June 8-9 and June 15-16. Adult workshops will be held at Tūhura Otago Museum on May 25-26, June 1-2, June 8-9, and June 15-16. • Volunteers Required: The Dunedin Midwinter Carnival is calling for volunteers to help support the not-for-profit event on June 27-28 at First Church. Positions range from workshop assistants to information stand crew. No experience is required, but volunteers must be 15 years or older. • Dunedin Midwinter Carnival event tickets, workshop bookings and volunteer registration are available online at
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
DSO - Brahms and Mataatua: A Journey in Music
Brahms's monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 was written when his compositional powers were at their peak. From a deceptively benign opening with a lone horn melody, the movements in turn evoke grace and turmoil, leading to an exhilarating climax. Acclaimed Wellington pianist Jian Liu returns to deliver the dazzling technique and musical depth this great work calls for. We celebrate Matariki with The Journey of Mataatua Whare, a newly commissioned work by Dame Gillian Whitehead which commemorates 100 years since the Mataatua Wharenui returned to NZ. The work tells the Wharenui's story: from the carved meeting house's creation in Whakatāne, the loss of Ngāti Awa control over it, its travels and mistreatment, its return to NZ for Dunedin/Ōtepoti's 1925 Great Exhibition and then Tūhura Otago Museum, and its final return to Ngāti Awa in Whakatāne. Three distinguished NZ singers and a selected chorus will join DSO's Principal Guest Conductor James Judd on stage for this very special event. For more information please visit | Brahms and Mataatua a Journey in Music
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Art seen: May 22
"The Splendour of Ukiyo-e", various artists Brett McDowell Gallery The rise in appreciation for Japanese Ukiyo-e art since its time of creation is nothing short of remarkable. Originally viewed in much the same way that we today might regard photographs on calendars or mass-produced posters, the rise of interest in asian art in Europe in the final years of the 19th century began a rise in the perceived worth of the art, to the point where it is now seen as a high-point in Japanese creative culture. The low-art origins are a reason why good quality prints are often something of a rarity. Brett McDowell Gallery has made an annual ritual of its exhibitions of Japanese prints, and this year's collection is a fine one, featuring several better-known artists, most notably the Utagawa school's Kunisada. Many of the pieces are single frame images, displaying scenes in the real or imagined daily life of high society — the "floating world" which gives Ukiyo-e art its name. The current display also includes several impressive multiple-panel pieces, perhaps the most remarkable of which is the three-piece Natural Flowers cooling off on the Sumidagawa by Nobukazu, its effectively composed night river scene aglow with rich blues and reds. "Glass Harbour", Russell Moses (Milford Gallery) The rich colours of rippling water are also much to the fore in an exhibition of Russell Moses' impressionistic arrays at Milford Gallery. Moses' art has long concentrated on the play of light on the surfaces of plants and water, creating multiple windows on the world through his grids of small geometric forms. In his latest exhibition, the artist concentrates on the rippling waters of Otago Harbour, as seen from his Port Chalmers home. His work has changed subtly for his previous series, incorporating here highly reflective paint rather than his former pearlescent surfaces. Ripples are deliberately featured in this series, created by ridges in the painted surface and the resultant effect is works in which the light shimmers and shifts as the viewer moves around them. The use of multiple colours within specific works is also a departure, allowing the pieces to suggest both the water and reflections of the land beyond. In a couple of the works, a mirror black surface is used to suggest night waters, also a nod to the art of Moses' late friend Ralph Hotere. The artist's deliberate association of the painted surface with the geometries of music comes to the fore in several pieces where ovals of flat white become visual chords on the surface of the waters. "Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award 2023", various artists (Tūhura Otago Museum) With this year's Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Awards drawing towards their conclusion, Tūhura Otago Museum is displaying finalists from the 2023 awards, allowing an opportunity to see the standards and styles the competition engenders. The competition's aim is simple: Emerging Māori artists are encouraged to create works honouring their tūpuna, playing out the line of their whakapapa to their ancestors. Despite the modern media used, this is perhaps the most traditional of Māori art subjects, the honouring of those that went before. The award is a fitting legacy for Te Kiingi. The works are appropriately being displayed in the Tangata Whenua Gallery, where they are interspersed with the permanent displays of Māori history. Pieces range from the purely representational to the more abstract or expressionistic; photorealistic paintings are presented alongside the symbolism of a broom and a three-panel poem. The winning work by Stevei Houkāmau (Ngāto Porou, Te Whanau-a-Apanui) uses a necklace as an inspiration, with each of its stones a memory-trace leading back to the artist's ancestor. Many fine and imaginative pieces are present, with highlights including paintings by Robert Pritchard-Blunt, Marie Kyle and Jody Tupara, the aforementioned poem by Trinity Thompson-Browne, an impressive carved work by Tukiri Tini, and a clever group sports photograph by Bodie Friend. By James Dignan
NZ Herald
17-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Travel Alerts: Pasta masterclasses, stargazing journeys, luxury resorts and helicopter rides
Hop aboard Dunedin Railways' Stargazer Train for a celestial winter journey timed with Matariki and the New Zealand International Science Festival. This unique experience takes passengers from Dunedin to the remote Taieri Gorge, far from city lights and perfect for stargazing. Onboard, science communicators from Tūhura Otago Museum share stories of the Matariki star cluster, offer astronomy insights, and guide guests through stargazing stations under the night sky. It's a magical blend of science, culture and nature, offering a rare chance to connect with the cosmos. Luxury in the Bahamas Aman brings its legendary luxury to the Bahamas with Amancaya, a new ultra-private retreat in the heart of Exuma. Set across two secluded cays with white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, Amancaya will offer 36 elegant hotel pavilions and a limited collection of Aman residences. Guests will enjoy signature Aman experiences, from serene wellness at the Aman Spa to vibrant dining, a beach club, and a private marina. Partnering with Dona Bertarelli, Aman aims to create a sustainable sanctuary honouring local culture and nature. New Caledonia welcomes Kiwis back New Caledonia is ready to welcome back Kiwi visitors after New Zealand's official travel advisory website, SafeTravel, downgraded its advisory to the South Pacific destination. Australia downgraded its advisory earlier this year. The advisory was lowered to Level 2, meaning travellers can visit as long as they 'exercise increased caution', placing it alongside destinations such as the US, India and Morocco. This follows a period of civil unrest in May 2024, which temporarily paused tourism. Since then, curfews were lifted in December 2024, and Aircalin increased its flight capacity between Auckland and Noumea in March 2025. In early 2025, New Caledonia Tourism launched a new campaign, New Caledonia, a New Chapter Awaits, showcasing the island's readiness to offer safe, memorable, and meaningful travel experiences for Kiwis. Reach for the skies Take to the skies for a breathtaking helicopter ride over Marlborough Sounds and land on Arapawa Island, home to a rare blue pearl farm, with Helicopters Nelson. After learning the story behind these beautiful gems, set off on a relaxing cruise with Beachcomber Cruises. As you glide through the waters, enjoy a gourmet seafood lunch prepared by a private chef, paired perfectly with Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Your day concludes with a scenic helicopter flight back to Nelson, offering a final breathtaking view of the Marlborough Sounds.
