Tawhiti: Life at home

The second room at Tawhiti was large, well-lit, and contained so many scenes (both full-sized and miniature) that I found it almost overwhelming.

An example is this series of dioramas showing how butter was made 'in the old days':

from milking the cow,

through pouring the milk (not sure what this did, and was too distracted to read the information below the scene!),

churning

and, finally, eating.

The full-sized scenes that caught my eye (and made my brain hurt as they were full-sized scenes that looked like miniature scenes made big: I figured it was all part of the owner's eye and ability to tell stories without words...): 

a woman making dinner.

A man in his workshop.

A scene at the local store,

and the local gunsmith at work.

While this room focused mainly on the pakeha* inhabitants of the area, the next rooms made up for it:

A full-sized model of a maori man wrapped in a blanket beside a fire outside two huts,

And miniature dioramas showing life in and around Turuturu Mokai pa, in a few scales.

(*Non-maori)