Taonga and Treasures

Discover why our visitors call Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom ‘a beautiful place’.

Two museums, an art gallery, café and library are part of this award-winning visitor and community centre (Museums Aotearoa winner: ‘Excellence’).

Explore the fascinating Māori, Dutch and Pioneering stories that feature in a spaciously designed facility, where you can literally while away the hours.

Art and Heritage

Check out the ever-changing exhibitions in the Māpuna Kabinet art gallery. You could  encounter taonga puoro and raranga weaving, Rembrandt’s masterworks digitally remastered, or works by local artists.

The Piriharakeke - Generation Inspiration Centre tells Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga history – through taonga, digital displays, soundscapes and modern art. Go on an engaging journey of whakapapa and pride of place.

The Oranjehof - Dutch Connection Centre lets you explore stories you never knew, in a place where all things Dutch come together – including arts and design. With a quirky humour of its own, Oranjehof is gezellig and delightfully colourful.

Sculptures and Murals

Your setting for all this is Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park – an arts and heritage precinct where multi-cultural pou and sculptures create a setting with a wairua of harmony all of its own.

Experience hands-on, living culture as you walk around the exquisite grounds where different cultures and arts mingle, offering a raft of interactive attractions.

Perhaps it’s tā moko or traditional whakairo carvings in the Whare Manaaki that would fascinate you? Or the huge millstones grinding flour the 17th century way, as the blades of windmill De Molen spin around. Or hearing the roar of the ancient machine in the Flax Stripper Museum come to life?

Events and 19th Century Architecture

Enjoy the buzz of community activities and events. There’s usually something happening.

And once you've finished with culture? You can relax or start up a BBQ in the Riverside Reserve with its walkways. Or stroll through Main Street, with its quirky boutique shops, murals and 19th century facades that give Foxton a feel of timelessness.

Come and discover…