Experience rural life in New Zealand in 1850 right down to the discovery of moa bones. Cheviot Hills was the first big land holding in New Zealand to be divided to provide small farming units for settlers. The museum follows life in the area with vivid displays, detailing the purchase of the estate in 1893, and the subsequent settling of the area between the Hurunui and Conway Rivers. The foundations of the Mansion House in the Cheviot Hills Domain are visible and the house is well documented.