Discover
The stories behind the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, and the work of our curators, scientists and staff.
Breaking the Ice: The First Year in Antarctica
Before the world had heard of Scott and Shackleton, another explorer hatched a plan to spend a year in Antarctica. He was Carsten Borchgrevink, and his team proved it was possible for humans to survive the Antarctic winter.
Dogs in Antarctica: Tales from the Pack
Meet the canine characters who helped Antarctic heroes like Scott and Shackleton explore the icy continent. From Kid the Courageous to Osman the Great, the dogs who pulled sledges and provided companionship on the great Antarctic expeditions all had tales of their own.
Blog Posts
Museum curators, scientists and technicians share stories from the Museum’s collections and their internationally-recognised research. Sign up here and we’ll regularly deliver a blog post to your inbox.
The Mysterious Canterbury Giant Wētā
Thu, 19 Nov 2020
A enigmatic giant wētā that has been in the Museum's storerooms for more than a century might be a previously unknown, extinct species.
Stories
Short stories from the collection and behind the scenes at the Museum. For easy access to our short stories, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our e newsletter.
A Big Bird's Egg
Wed, 13 May 2020
The elephant birds of Madagascar laid huge eggs! Although they physically resembled moa, their closest living relatives are kiwi.
46 Days of Geological Discovery
Fri, 01 May 2020
The first map of the Dry Valleys area in Antarctic was drawn by explorer Thomas Griffith Taylor.
Otipua Wetland Bioblitz
Wed, 22 Apr 2020
Two of our natural history curators recently attended a bioblitz near Timaru and found some interesting species.
