Copyright
The Owaka Museum is grateful to the artists and copyright holders who have given permission for images to appear on this website. No content on this site may be reproduced, transmitted or copied without our permission except for the purposes of private study and research, criticism and review, or education consistent with the provisions of Sections 40 to 44 of the New Zealand Copyright Act, 1994.

Failure to comply may be an infringement of the Act and may contravene obligations which the Owaka Museum has to donors, lenders, artists and descendants with respect to the copying of copyright material. Please refer to the Owaka Museum for details about publishing images from the museum collection.

The Museum
On your journey to the south-east edge of Aotearoa / New Zealand, discover the Owaka Museum : Wahi Kahuika the Meeting Place – a rest on your journey.

This distinctive all- weather venue brings the outdoors inside and captures the essence of the Catlins. The experience is like walking through a three dimensional story book on what made the Catlins how it is today. You can take away from your journey a deeper sense of understanding of this small but significant dot on the map.

Behind every small museum, there is a small town and behind this small town there is a large amount of community spirit. The welcome mat is still out. See it and feel it at the Owaka Museum. There is more to Owaka than meets the eye. Owaka Museum a must-stop-and –see destination on your voyage of discovery to the Catlins.

Owaka museum Wahi Kahuika- the Meeting Place opened in October 2007 and is situated in the centre of Owaka

The museum provides a window on what made the Catlins the place it is today. Multi-media exhibitions present stories on Maori and pioneers, shipping, farming, forestry, rail, military and life in general enhanced by Catlins collection items.

Each exhibition gives the visitor a deeper understanding of the character of the Catlins and those that lived here. This culminates in the main Catlins Gallery with the significant figurehead of the shipwrecked ‘Otago’ positioned to appear as the figurehead of the museum.

Positioned in a complex that houses the information centre and library, also on offer are a community gallery and research resources.

Owaka museum Wahi Kahuika- the Meeting Place: a rest on your journey.