TripAdvisor awards Tawhiti Museum top 10 travelers choice spot

Tawhiti Museum owner Nigel Ogle examines some of the figurines he is creating for an upcoming display, the recreation of images of troops traveling from Whanganui up the Waingongoro River in 1865 as painted by officer Edward Arthur Williams. Hawera's premier museum has proven itself popular on the world stage. Tawhiti Museum placed sixth in the TripAdvisor South Pacific top 10 travellers' choice museums list. Announced on September 16, museum owner Nigel Ogle said he was surprised but delighted to be named in the list, which includes mostly large budget museum's such as Wellington's Te Papa and Australia's MONA museum in Tasmania. "We do get some wonderful comments," he said. "They arrive and it obviously exceeds their expectations of little old Hawera and a little museum out in the country." The world's largest travel website, TripAdvisor identified 591 museums in the latest awards list using reviews and opinions posted on the website by travellers. Website chief marketing officer Barbara Messing said "these world-class museums provide an enriching experience that can be both inspiring and educational for travellers around the globe." Ogle said it was gratifying to know his museum stood out because he aimed for it to be both an art and history project. "Through the building of the life size figures and the scale figures, interpretation is the art part of it," he said. "Because it's only ever had one person at the helm from the day it opened until now... it looks cohesive." Ogle's displays were his vision of how history could and should be told. He said the goal was to present history in a way that people could relate to, that was interesting but still informed. "The figurines give it a social feel," he said. "The things in the museum are only of interest because they've been used by people." - Stuff http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/south-taranaki-star/72304112/tripadvisor-awards-tawhiti-museum-top-10-travelers-choice-spot