Million dollar upgrade for Pukaha Mount Bruce

A million dollar upgrade of Pukaha Mount Bruce visitor centre is scheduled to begin early next year.
The Pukaha Mount Bruce Board, chaired by former Masterton Mayor Bob Francis, has applied to a number of community trusts for funding to meet the estimated $1 million cost.
Public meetings will be held to explain the upgrade project when the funding has been secured.
Visitor centre manager Kathy Houkamau said the staff are very excited about the development that plans to connect people to the environment and encourage them to actively get involved in its well-being.
In 2004 extensions were made on the Takahe Caf?, including a new education room, she said.
Next year's extensions will be done by Wellington-based company Lumen and will involve the retail and reception area, theatre room and display visitor centre.
"The display area has done a good job over the years but Pukaha has a new story to tell. It's not just about the captive breeding any more. There's a whole new story about the restoration of Pukaha forest."
Ms Houkamau said the board understands people have different styles of learning and the new display area will have an interactive focus.
"We want to create a platform here that better prepares visitors for the outdoor environment they will experience."
There will be no major structural changes just a lot more IT and three-dimensional oriented, she said.
Rangitane o Wairarapa is a partner of Pukaha Mount Bruce and plans to build a whakapapa wall leading to the theatre room, Ms Houkamau said.
"This will introduce their relationship with the forest and give the visitor a sense of going back in time.
"There will be a canopy and forest floor created using hi-tech 3-D images and the story of the lost huia will also be told."
"The huia was last seen in Wairarapa and is related to the kokako, which is in captive breeding here."
The most frequently asked questions will be displayed at the centre in detail and a static timeline display will show captive breeding and restoration successes at Mount Bruce, she said.
"The facilities at the moment are kind of like a comfy pair of slippers that people love and don't want to get rid of. It will probably take a while for people to get used to it but we also need to remember that kids and teenagers are a big part of our visitor numbers."
The kids' section will include finding things in the display room that can only be seen through specialist binoculars, she said.
"It's a way of teaching kids how to find things and what they should be looking for when they're in the outdoor environment."
A glass atrium for the visitor centre entrance has also been proposed but will be cost-dependent, she said.
"Many of the things here have been well used and were great to have but will soon be retired."