Whānau Day: Kua hoki mai te koekoeā – The koekoeā has returned

Learn about kōanga with free family-friendly activities, workshops, and performances.

Illustration of two hands symbolising sign language will be used.

Find accessibility information for the Deaf community below.

When | Āhea

Sat 11 Oct 2025, 10.00am to 2.00pm

Where | Ki hea

Rongomaraeroa, the marae; Te Taiao | Nature; Bush City; and Toi Art

Cost | Te utu

Free, with museum entry

Age

Young whānau, tamariki aged 2–12 years old

Accessibility

Bookable NZSL session from 10.30am–11.30am, more information below.

Kua hoki mai te koekoeā! The koekoeā has returned!

Join us for a day of free activities for tamariki, celebrating the return of kōanga. Watch kapa haka performances, make your own crafts, get your face painted and learn about the manu and plants that signal spring has arrived.

Full schedule to be released soon.

Bookable NZSL session, 10.30am–11.30am

A free, bookable session for Deaf tamariki and their whānau led by a Deaf facilitator, with NZSL Interpreters. 18 places available.

More information will be shared soon. To book your places, please email publicprogrammes@tepapa.govt.nz

Kua hoki mai te koekoeā refers to the koekoeā, or the long-tailed cuckoo returning being a sign that spring is coming, as it is a migratory manu.

A woman with dark hair, wearning an apron sits next to a young boy with straight black hair and a grey sweatshirt. They sit side by side and look closely at the rubber stamp the boy is holding up. Ink trays and printed fabric are on the table infront.