Waitangi Treaty Grounds offering virtual tours for schools

School groups are regular visitors to the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi and they can now take a virtual tour. Photo / Supplied

The education team at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds has developed new "virtual visits" for schools not able to visit in person, with the options of Early Contact, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi, and the New Zealand Wars.

The Early Contact virtual visit offers an understanding of the issues surrounding the European presence in New Zealand leading up to the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840; Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi explores the English and te reo Māori versions of the documents, the differences between them, and how they are relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand today; and the New Zealand Wars visit covers what happened after the Treaty signing and explores why the Treaty did not end the conflict between Māori and the British, but actually led to wars.

"We were offering limited virtual visits before Covid-19, mainly for South Island schools, but during lockdown, we were able to completely redevelop our approach with new content and more interactivity, and we are keen to keep going," education manager Monika Kern said.

The education team was also involved in the development of the Raranga Matihiko television programmes, in co-operation with Te Papa Tongarewa, Waikato Museum and MTG Hawke's Bay. Sixteen episodes will be broadcast over two weeks on TVNZ Channel 2+1, TVNZ OnDemand, and Sky Channel 502.

The Treaty Grounds were opened to the public on May 16.