NZ Liberation Museum a must-visit destination for Kiwis living in UK
For the thousands of Kiwis living in London and around the UK, the NZ Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata is their tūrangawaewae on the Western Front – their place to stand.
One estimate shows around 80,000 New Zealanders live in the UK, and hundreds of Kiwis have visited since Te Arawhata opened in October 2023, including for this year’s Anzac Day commemorations.
New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, who visited Te Arawhata recently, says the museum tells an inspirational story about what Kiwi troops did in the First World War to liberate Le Quesnoy.
“[They were] Men of courage, of determination, of resolution. It’s something for all of us Kiwis to be proud of and [to] build an enduring connection between ourselves and the people of Le Quesnoy.”
A must visit destination
With a visitor experience by Wētā Workshop, Te Arawhata takes people on an emotional, immersive, and educational journey as it brings together history, art, and technology.
The museum tells the heroic story of how Kiwi soldiers used a ladder to scale the walls of the town on 4 November, 1918, to liberate the people of the small French town from four years of German occupation.
“Te Arawhata is a must visit destination for kiwis travelling in Europe and living in the UK,” says Museum Manager Josh Hansen.
“It is the perfect experience for an enriching couple of days away in a beautiful part of France”.
Getting there is easy
A visit to Te Arawhata can be included on an itinerary for a long weekend getaway from London.
Entering the doors of Te Arawhata you are greeted by Aotearoa birdsong, signs in Te Reo Māori, a warm welcome, and even a “Kia ora”. In Le Quesnoy, many of the street names are named after New Zealand.
The museum is a good place to visit if you are feeling homesick – and to learn about New Zealand history along the way.
Le Quesnoy has a local train station, which is a one-hour journey from Lille train station. Lille is 1.5 hours on Eurostar from London. By car Le Quesnoy is a 2.5-hour drive from Paris, or 45-minutes from Lille.