Māwhera Pā reopening 12 October 2026

Welcome to the Pounamu Pathway

We're reopening 12 October 2026

After a significant remediation work due to dammage caused by flooding in Māwhera/Greymouth we're reopeing our doors from the 12th of October.

We're looking forward to welcoming manurihi (guests) from across Aotearoa and the globe to share in kōrero and immersive themselves in the rich tapestry of Poutini Ngāi Tahu - book your journey today.

The Pounamu Pathway is an immersive storytelling experience delivered in four unique and linked hubs across the West Coast/Te Tai o Poutini, from Waiau/Franz Josef to Westport/Kawatiri.

Journey to a Place of Legends

With our creative partner, Wētā Workshop, we bring cultural experiences to life through digital and immersive technology that is fun, surprising, creative, and utterly unique to the West Coast/Te Tai o Poutini. Māori Legends, settlements, battles and taniwha (water guardians) have formed this place of precious stone, ancient trade routes, and stunning landscapes. Follow in the footsteps of explorers, traders, guardians, and pioneers and journey through the four connected hubs bound together by the Pounamu Pathway.

The Pounamu Pathway also offers a digital pathway where you can be guided by distinctive Pou Whenua (places of significance) that link together the four centres, the natural icons of the coast and other attractions and activities.

Immerse yourself in the natural and cultural beauty of the West Coast/Te Tai o Poutini

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What People Are Saying

Don't just take our word for it. Here's what people are saying about their Pounamu Pathway experience 👇👇

Amanda Black

a year ago

- via Google

Amazing experience. Fascinating history told in a really engaging way. Great for my 5yo too. The team were really welcoming. We'll definitely be back.

Amos Mccoy

a year ago

- via Google

What an amazing experience. It was such a treasure to learn the stories of something we here in New Zealand hold so close to our hearts. This is a must stop location when passing through Greymouth. I look forward to seeing the one they have further up the coast.

Tracy Klenner

a year ago

- via Google

This exhibition is amazing, great visuals and fantastic story telling. I was surprised at how much there was to see and learn. Leave yourself enough time to really take it all in.

Lisa Perry

a year ago

- via Google

What a FABULOUS exhibition. HUGE THANK YOU TO TUI who answered our questions and gave us more of an insight. What a beautiful soul. Tui was the icing on the cake.

Weka Films

2 years ago

- via Google

Tino pai! First time visit for our West Coast family (Kumara). Unreal experience that has gifted us with a much richer perspective of Te Waipounamu. Looking forward to showing friends and family through in the years ahead.

Rachelle Tauroa

2 years ago

- via Google

Thoroughly enjoyed the walk through of this exhibition. Amazing graphics and exhibition pieces. But mostly enjoyed the purakau and learning about a piece of Te Tai Poutini history.

Denis Green

2 years ago

- via Google

Great opportunity to learn the history of the Maori tribes in Westland, with the trade in valuable pounamu/greenstone being the driver. This multimedia exhibition has been created very professionally and provides a great experience, well worth the entry fee. Take your time, let it soak in and leave feeling you know a whole lot more about the history of this area.

Ruth Bowater

2 years ago

- via Google

What a fantastic, immersive experience! Brilliant way to learn about the history of the area and the tangata whenua. Loved it.

Kevin Booth

2 years ago

- via Google

Local history shared in a modern way. The ingenuity of WETA combined with artful local story telling. A must see on any trip to Greymouth. I came away with a deep respect and better understanding of the deep routes that are planted in this place.

Stella Rain Sinton-White

2 years ago

- via Google

Amazing experience! So cool to see this happen in Greymouth. It really pops out in the town, you could get trapped in there for hours. There is stuff in there for everyone! Really recommend it.

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Book Your Māwhera / Greymouth Experience

The ancestral home of Poutini Ngāi Tahu. Journey through the stories of the people of Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the Māwhera Pā (settlement). Encounter ancestral legends, like Tūhuru the Warrior Chief and Tuterangiwhānoa, who carved these great landscapes. Listen as the stories of giants and fearless warriors unfold around you, and experience tales of conquest, travel, conflict and kinship through the trade of Pounamu.

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Creative Partner

Pounamu Pathway visitor experience was created in partnership with Wētā Workshop, who are renowned for bringing imaginary worlds to life for the entertainment and creative industries.