Militaria always attracting

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 269, 22 December 1988, Page 13

Militaria always attracting

The Queen Elizabeth II War Memorial Museum in Waiouru is one of the major all-year-round attractions of the Waimarino.

With 80,000 visitors pcr year the Museum attracts interest from all over New Zealarid as well as from overseas and is popular with all sorts of people, young and old, family groups, guided tours and anyone seeking a better understanding of New Zealand's history and development as a free and independent nation. The displays in the Museum cover a period of more than 100 years of New Zealand's military history from the Land Wars in the 1860's to the Vietnam War in the 1970's. During this period New Zealand sent troops to the Boer War (1900), the Great War

(1914-18), World War II (1939-45), and to the United Nations policing operation in Korea in the 1950's. New Zealand soldiers, sailors and later airmen (as well as the womens' services) have scen action in South Africa, France, Belgium, Sinai, Palestine, Egypt, G a 1 i p o 1 i , Greece, Italy, Crete, North Africa, Samoa, the South Pacific, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam. All these campaigns and policing operations are comprehensively recorded in a series of excellently prescntcd displays. The exhibits include the artefacts and accou-

trements of the New Zealand forces as well as the colourful uniforms and insignia of former days. These are presented and described in a variety of ways including showcase displays of weapons and memorabila, film-size 3-di-mensional dioramas (action t a b 1 e a u x depicting real-life battle conditions), audio visual slides and cinefilm. With its well-stocked shop and tearooms/cafeteria the Museum is an ideal stopover for travellers through the North Island but it is equally attractive to longerstay visitors particularly when the weather is wet and cold and outdoor activities are limited. The Museum is open every day of the year from T9am to 4.30pm (except Christmas) and admission charges are: Adults ($6), Children ($3), Groups ($15) and organised tours ($5).