Awanui: Art, Kauri and Local History

Awanui offers visitors a range of cultural and recreational attractions. Kā Uri combines a gallery, workshop and shop; art is part of the town’s local history. There are also playgrounds and an audiovisual show about Kauri. When planning your stay in Awanui, you can choose which of these different themes to focus on according to your interests.

Kā Uri: Gallery, Workshop and Shop

The Kā Uri gallery celebrates Northland’s heritage with locally made art and unique exhibits. It features traditional and contemporary Māori art, as well as handcrafted pieces that tell stories from the Far North. The shop offers traditional Māori carvings, handcrafted jewellery, art and souvenirs that reflect the cultural heritage and beauty of the Far North. The gallery’s offerings and the shop’s selection may change over time.

At the workshop, you can watch experienced carvers at work using traditional techniques and learn more about the cultural significance of the carving motifs and tools. Kā Uri uses Kauri that was buried underground for over 45,000 years, shaping or carving it into new works. This brings together the history of the material, design and insights into the carving craft in one place: the gallery displays finished art, while the workshop offers a close-up look at motifs, tools and craftsmanship.

Art in the Townscape and Local History

A work by local Māori artist Erstich, located on a business at the corner of SH1 and SH10, is part of Awanui’s streetscape. The pioke, or shark, is also part of Awanui’s history at Rangaunu Harbour. Alongside the works in the gallery, this provides another connection to art in the townscape and a distinct story about the harbour’s history.

Playgrounds and Park Design

The newly upgraded playground at Awanui Park was officially opened on 28 May 2022. At the opening, it included play facilities for all age groups. Additions to the park announced in 2022 included public gas barbecues, toilets, picnic tables, seating, swings, climbing towers and slides. These facilities were part of the announcement at the time. The playground at Awanui Reserve is separate: as part of its upgrade project, it was given a maritime theme.

Kauri in an Audiovisual Show

Gumdiggers Park in Awanui offers an audiovisual show about events connected with the Kauri forest preserved underground. This presents a different approach from Kā Uri: the focus here is a show about events surrounding the forest, while Kā Uri brings together art, carving motifs and the working of Kauri.

In the Wider Far North District

The wider destination of the Far North District offers other distinct cultural and historical topics. The Te Ahu Museum at the Te Ahu Centre in Kaitāia presents the history of the Far North District. Topics include pre-European Māori artefacts, gold mining, Dalmatian heritage, Kauri gum and timber, early shipwrecks, and missionaries and pioneers. Films, interactive exhibits, virtual landscape tours and informative displays complement these topics; the offerings are intended for visitors of all ages. The museum also has an extensive archive of documents, journals, newspapers, maps and photographs. More than 500 records are available online.

Another perspective on the history of the wider Far North District can be found at the former Mangonui Courthouse in Mangonui. The well-preserved courthouse was built in 1892 and is considered an unusually intact, nationally significant example of a small courthouse. While Kā Uri in Awanui focuses on art and the craft of carving, the museum and historic courthouse offer their own perspectives on the history of the Far North District.

Discover more destinations: Waipu, Whangaruru, Otaika, Kaikohe, Matakohe, Ruakaka, Matapouri, Lake Ohia

For the wider travel overview: Northland.