Travelling North, we decided to stop for lunch at the Waiouru Army Base Museum. Having travelled through Europe visiting museums, my teenage boys weren't that keen on another museum but it proved to be an excellent stop. We got great photos outside on the tanks. Inside there was a small cafe if needed, then into a museum with a lot of well presented static lifesize displays and loads of information about WW1 WW2 and other wars. There was also rugby info and a couple of machines to try out your strength on. We enjoyed our stopover there.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here on a rainy January day. We had lunch in the cafe which was prompt but not spectacular (although the coffee was good), and then enjoyed a couple of hours wandering around the museum. The kids enjoyed the Kids HQ dress up and play area, and they asked lots of questions about the displays as we went round and learned a bit more about our Army and country's history.

The army museum has a wide variety of displays depicting the involvement of army personnel in warfare - using video, images and models to convey the history and experiences of people. Wheelchairs are available for people requiring them during their visit. Our visit was both enlightening and sobering as we considered the reality of the effect of war on individuals, communities and countries.
Our visit reminded us of a Maori proverb:
He aha te mea nui o te ao (What is the most important thing in the world)?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata (It is the people, it is the people, it is the people).

We stopped at this Museum to ask for help from archivist. Very very helpful experience as we did family history. The museum is very interesting for all age ranges and is a humbling experience. Sadly, four years ago we visited to see the VC medals but they had been stolen. Four years on they have been recovered but are still not on view to the public. Guess we will be visiting again.