The Star: December 14, 2023

26 The Star Thursday December 14 2023
SUMMER HOLIDAY FUN
Experience a
festive treat these
Christmas holidays
Come and celebrate Christmas with
Canterbury Museum at CoCA. You can
join the annual Great Museum Santa
Search, explore our display dedicated
to collection highlights and enjoy the
new exhibition opening on Friday 15
December - Ngā Hau Ngākau.
The much-loved Great Museum Santa
Search is back this year and open to all
children under 15. Will you be able to find
all the special Santas hidden among two
display cases brimming with the bringer
of Christmas cheer? If you find all the
special Santas you could win a prize.
Ngā Hau Ngākau (Breath of Mine)
weaves together stunning paintings,
intricately carved taonga puoro
(traditional Māori musical instruments)
and beautiful music to honour the many
stories of Te Ao Māori (the Māori world).
Painter Robin Slow, master carver Brian
Flintoff and musician Bob Bickerton have
created a unique space that is evocative of
a whare whakairo (carved meeting house)
and dedicated to manu (birds), which
are treasured in Māori mythology as
messengers that connect the physical and
the spiritual realms.
Canterbury Museum at CoCA, the free
pop-up space at 66 Gloucester Street in
central Christchurch, also features a host
of favourites from the Museum collection,
including the beloved horse, a range of
taxidermied animals and the rideable
Ski-doo.
Head along to Canterbury Museum at
CoCA this Christmas holidays for a festive
treat.
Advertising Feature
100 years of
aviation history
- for free!
The Air Force Museum of New
Zealand is a must-see this summer.
Located at the birthplace of the Royal
New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)
at Wigram, the museum is home
to national treasures including 30
beautifully cared-for historic aircraft.
These range from the usual crowd
favourites – a Supermarine Spitfire, a
North American P-51 Mustang and
a McDonnell Douglas A4 Skyhawk
through to a not-so-pretty but muchloved
Bristol B.170 Freighter.
There are endless ways for the
kids, and grandkids to explore the space
too. From taking a seat in a real cockpit
or testing your skills at our Drop Zone
and Balloon Buster flying games. The
locally-famous Museum hunts are available
year-round for a small charge and the
Mosquito Mission flight simulator is
seriously fun.
With an on-site café and guided
tours available, including a peek
behind the scenes in the extensive
restoration workshop and reserve
collection, visitors can happily spend
a few hours here or fill in the whole
day.
The museum is open 364 days a
year (closed on Christmas Day) from
9.30am until 4.30pm each day.
VISIT
DISCOVER
INCREDIBLE
KIWI
STORIES.
Engage with 100 years
of history at the birthplace
of our Air Force.
See Museum highlights
and special exhibitions while our
buildings are being redeveloped
Pop up
Museum
66 Gloucester
Street
Free entry;
Donations appreciated
canterburymuseum.com
45 Harvard Ave, Wigram, Christchurch / www.airforcemuseum.co.nz
15 minutes’ drive from the central city or the airport / Plenty of free on-site parking.