Promoting New Zealand in a miniature park.
100% Kiwi, Pure New Zealand!
On this page you can follow the development of the Mini-Kiwiland attraction ( ). For developments of our Mini-Kiwiland Shop ( ) click here.
During a short visit to Northland we managed to measure the Cape Reinga lighthouse. We should be able to make a model now. Most of it will be 3D printed.
We had already started to make a model of the Waitangi Treaty House, but were missing some details. After visiting the Treaty Grounds we should be able to finish this model.
We also took pictures of some historical buildings in several Northland places like Kaitaia, Paihia, Mangonui and Kerikeri. These will be used for an upcoming voting round for Northland.
After a few months raising money for the attraction successfully we started doing some work on models again in December. Most work was done on the Wellington Bond Store (City & Sea Museum). Especially 3D printed parts were improved.
Most work was done on the Auckland Ferry Building, but unfortunately we got over budget, so we won't be able to continue at this stage. In June we will start working on the old Wellington Bond Store (City & Sea Museum) again.
We have found the ideal location in a park for the next photo shoot in December. We will include as many models on location to show how the upcoming attraction could look like. Some unfinished models like the Auckland Ferry Building and the Invercargill Water Tower will also be included.
In April most work was done on making a model of the Ferry Building in Auckland. We starting making the 22 tapered columns of the building. We also found parts of detailed plans for two sides of the model, including the tower. Visiting the building is still essential. Hopefully this could be done before the end of the year.
We also continued working on the catenary for our mobile display.
In March most work was done on making a model of the Ferry Building in Auckland. The shape of the tower is finished, but unfortunately we don't have enough information to go into detail at this stage.
We also continued working on the catenary for our mobile display.
The shape of the roof for our model of the Auckland Ferry Building got finished in February.
For our mobile display we finished most of the concrete plates for the pedestrian footpaths.
In January we continued working on the frame for the Wellington Bond Store (Wellington City & Sea Museum), although it seems that we need to make a different structure, so it will be easier to transport the long model (2.4 meter).
Most work was done on attaching the ballast on the third railway track sheet for our mobile display. This is sheet has three lines of tracks and 6 switches.
In December we started making a model of the Wellington Bond Store. Most time was spent on making a digital 3D model using SketchUp, but we also managed to start making the frame for 2.4 meter long model.
The new modelling season has started earlier this month by making a model of the Ferry Building in Auckland. This model will be around 2.5 meters long. The frame of the model is nearly finished.
A short visit to Rotorua resulted in more information to be able to make a model of the gardener's cottage in the Government Gardens. We also managed to make our own plans for the Tea House in the same gardens.
Although we received useful plans of the Brain Watkins House in Tauranga, we still needed to visit the place for some missing details. We have been able to do this after the Hamilton Model Railway Show. We should be able to make a model now.
We just received a copy of the book 'Railway Houses in New Zealand' by Bruce Shalders. It contains lots of interesting photos and detailed information about the different types of railway houses all over New Zealand on 142 pages (hard cover). A great guideline for us when we will start making models of these buildings in 2019.
The book can be purchased on TradeMe for around $80 and on the New Zealand Model Railway Guild website for only $39.00:
A lot of Police Houses were built in New Zealand around 1900 using similar designs. Most of those police houses had a small police office (room) attached to the house. We finally came across the plans of the police house that used to stand next to the police station in Petone. We'll start making a model of this police house in 2019. We're already making the police station and prison.
Other places that had similar designs for police stations/houses that we know of:
Otaki, Shannon, Kihikihi, Mangaweka, Tolega Bay, Blackball & Collingwood.
Please contact us if you know of more places using the same building designs.
Our 'ambassador' of Mini-Kiwiland in Wellington City has nominated 30 Wellington buildings. This brings the total of nominations for Wellington City to 94 structures.
Voting for the new nominations is not possible yet. This will be enabled as soon as a new voting round starts for all Wellington structures. This will most likely be early 2019.
In February parts for the Sound Shell in Napier were finished. More work was done for several Seddon state houses in Petone. A second Seddon state house of 'Domus' has been assembled. This one is a mirror version of the previous one that was made.
We received permission to include a model of the Brain Watkins House in Mini-Kiwiland. This will be the first building for us from Tauranga. We still need to visit the place before we can start making a model. This is planned for February 2019.
In January most work was done on making a model of the Otaki Courthouse. Models of the Wellington Tram Shelters have had some improvement as well as the old Petone Police Station.
A lot of work has also gone into making sheets of railway tracks. These sheets of 1800mm in length with up to 3 lines of tracks with ballast will be used for display events like RailEx or model railway club days.
We have also started working again on Napier models like the Six Sisters and the Sound Shell.
Preparations were done to make a model of the Hawera Water Tower and the Ongaonga Butchery.
Several Mini-Kiwiland models have been on display during a fundraiser event in Paraparaumu for V.S.A.
In December we made quite some progress on the old Petone Police Station. Work was also done on the old Wellington Tram Shelters.
Preparations have been made to make a model of the old Ongaonga school.
We bought our first 3D printer. An exciting move forward. With this print we intend to make parts like window and gutters. Making those parts with the 3D printer will be more accurate, stronger and a lot faster.
Mini-Kiwiland received permission to include the Ferry Building in Mini-Kiwiland. Quite exciting as it turns out to be very difficult to get permission to include Auckland buildings.
A second round of voting for Hamilton structures/buildings has started on Facebook. Some low interest buildings from the first round have been removed and 20 extra buildings have been nominated.
Most photos have been updated.
Measuring the Duart House in Havelock North got finished. In Ongaonga the school cottage was measured and in Dannevirke parts of the Bank Of New Zealand.
The following buildings were measured: The Daily Telegraph, The Six Sisters, The Sound Shell and the T&G Building.
We will need to go back to Napier again later this year to finish the measurements of the T&G Building.
Photos were taken in Rotorua for a second voting round for the Bay Of Plenty.
Several parts of the Rotorua Museum and gardens were measured. We will probably go back in November to finish the job.
The two-storey band rotunda in Cambridge was measured. Several places in Waikato were visited to take photos for a second voting round on Facebook.
Hamilton was visited for taking photos for a second voting round on Facebook.
Several places in Waikato were visited to take photos of upcoming nominations for the Waikato region. A second voting round will most likely be held in May.
During a trip to Taranaki the following buildings were measured: Hawera Water Tower, Stratford Glockenspiel and the New Plymouth Women's Rest Rooms.
Napier has become a separate 'Mini-Kiwiland Region' due to the large and growing quantity of Hawke's Bay nominations. Here's a direct link to the Napier Region and a direct link to the changed Hawke's Bay Region.
Both regions have new nominations and updated photos.
In February preparations were made to create models of several Hawke's Bay buildings: The Sound Shell (Napier), The Daily Telegraph (Napier), The Six Sisters (Napier), The Duart House (Havelock North) and the Butchery in Ongaonga.
We received permission to make a model of the Bank Of New Zealand Building in Dannevirke. This building received the most votes for Dannevirke on Facebook. Hopefully we will be able to obtain the building plans in the near future.
In January work was done on models of the following structures: Paekakariki Railway Station, Petone Police Station, Petone Seddon's State House 'Kia Ora' and Opotiki Hiona St. Stephen's Church.
We changed our Facebook address into: https://www.facebook.com/minikiwiland. Please update your links and bookmarks. Many thanks!
We received permission to make a model of the Times Age Building in Masterton. This building received the most votes for Masterton. Hopefully we will be able to obtain the building plans in the near future.
We received permission and full cooperation to make a model of the Glockenspiel in Stratford. Visiting Stratford to get more details is required before we are able to start making a model. Hopefully this can be done in February.