Nowhere else in New Zealand will you discover a wider range of marine animals and native species in a single facility than at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier, located on this South Pacific country's East Coast.

Almost within touching distance are kiwi foraging on the forest floor of their enclosure and tuatara, the unique New Zealand lizard considered a living dinosaur found only in islands off the New Zealand mainland. Specially mounted cameras track these fascinating creatures into their burrows if they retreat from public view.

The National Aquarium, uniquely situated on Napier's foreshore, stretches like a huge stingray on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. It is designed to be a centre of education, entertainment and cultural experience.

The proximity to the ocean allows fresh seawater to be pumped directly to tanks and enclosures. Apart from its diverse exhibits, this magnificent, modern attraction incorporates some of the latest technological life support and operational systems.

An underwater travelator takes you beneath the massive oceanarium as hundreds of fish swim and feed above and around you.

Napier has a long and impressive record of aquarium development, making it the logical site for the National Aquarium of New Zealand. The city established its first public aquarium in 1956, believed to be the first in New Zealand. A small group of residents, fascinated with fish life and wanting to share their experience and knowledge, set up an aquarium in the basement of the War Memorial Centre, now an in-demand conference venue at the northern end of Napier's Marine Parade.

The city's first purpose-built aquarium opened in 1976 and after an $8 million redevelopment, the National Aquarium officially opened in March 2002.

Aquarium staff have an international reputation for specialist knowledge, including reptile expertise and an ability to keep stocks alive well beyond natural life expectancy rates.

The National Aquarium was the first aquarium to hatch a turtle egg (1975). It has the world's oldest living tuatara hatched in captivity (hatched 1980) and these are now part of a database for genetic diversity. Other scientific programmes involved researching the sustainability of the Orange Roughy fishery, the effect of ageing on fish and measuring stress levels in tuatara.

Local fishermen visit regularly to deliver their catch or identify unusual species they have found in the bay. No part of New Zealand is more than 130 kilometers from the sea, making marine education and curiosity natural amongst this country's four million population.

The Ultimate Underwater Experience!

Stroll around the different continents of the world and view sea creatures, reptiles, exotic fish, native birds and interactive displays that will transport you to another world without getting wet.

The ground floor of the complex is dedicated to the New Zealand environment. The main tank is 24 metres long, 30 metres wide, 3 metres deep and takes 1,500,067 litres of water to fill. View the 1,500 fish swimming and feeding above you as you stroll through the 50 metre long tunnel.

Interact with our touch pool and view the rock pool and the kiwi environment as well as seeing our very own lizard, the gecko. Take a look at the tuatara exhibit with its stepped/shelved coastal wave and wind cut rockwork.

On the upper floor you can view the different continents of the world. Immerse yourself in Africa and our Lake Malawi cichlid exhibit. Relax by the Japanese Garden with its cave fish display. Exit from the Asian Water Garden containing Koi carp, gold fish and twin-hinged tortoises into the harsh outback life of Australia with its skink display.

Te Whare Tangaroa o Aotearoa - the house of the guardian of the ocean of New Zealand

Maori spiritual concepts and tribal history are an important part of New Zealand's cultural history and education. As you come eye-to-eye with the thousands of strange and wonderful creatures that live in the National Aquarium of New Zealand, your experience will involve you in an enthralling, captivating Maori legend.

There is a unique story of a powerful connection linking Napier and its people to mythological deity. The story is one of proud ancestry that traces the evolution of New Zealand's Maori people and their special bond and respect for the ocean, to modern day families, their spiritual beliefs and links to earlier generations.

Maori mythology is always supported by local whakapapa (genealogy). Ancestral bonds are precious; there is a special, close attachment with every generation, back to the dawn of all time. The whakapapa is treasured by all, and remains as spiritually and historically strong with today's descendants as it did with ancestors of past centuries. A recurring feature of Maori tradition is the genealogical link from the gods to themselves.

Our story is of Tangaroa, God of the Ocean and his special connection to this Napier (Ahuriri) area through Pania.

Tangaroa was one of the offspring of primal parents, Rangi and Papa. Tangaroa is God of the Ocean and all things that live in the sea are his children. His waves crash on the shore; he keeps fishermen's boats safe on the sea. He ensures his children of the sea are kept safe and the laws of the ocean are followed by all that come to her. He is guardian or poutiriao of Hinemoana, the ocean. He is of Ponaturi, the sea dwellers, but his powers extend to the earth people, Patupaiarehe.

Pania is one of Tangaroa's sea people. Her tragic love story continues to be handed down from one generation to the next, shared by Maori and Pakeha alike.

Pania was said to be a beautiful sea-maiden who swam daily to the Napier shore at the setting of the sun to drink the clean, fresh water from a spring at the northern end of Napier's Marine Parade. She would return to her sea people before the break of day, every day. While on shore she would hide herself in a clump of flax beside the freshwater spring. One evening a Maori chief came to drink at the spring and found Pania resting in the flax. He took her home and they became man and wife. Every morning Pania would return to her sea people. Every evening she would come back to her husband.

Pania gave birth to a son, named Moremore. But in this tragic love story, Pania was eventually drawn back to her people, taking Moremore with her. The heart of Karitoki was broken.

The sea people are said to have petrified her body into the reef off Napier's breakwater, now known to all as Pania Reef. Divers and fishermen today still claim to be able to see the shape of Pania's body lying beneath the water, with her arms out-stretched towards the lover she reluctantly left on shore. Her glorious long, dark hair drifts like seaweed, with the current.

Pania's son, Moremore, is said to have been turned into a taniwha and lived in the waters around the reef off Hukarere and at the entrance to Napier's inner harbour. Moremore functioned as a kaitiaki, or protector of the Maori people while they gathered their kaimoana (food).

Pania of the Reef is a most fascinating and enchanting legend. She is commemorated in statue, song, literature and most strongly, in the minds of Maori people. Her bronzed statue in her memory can be found along Marine Parade.

As you leave the aquarium, look across the ocean for Tangaroa and see the spectacular geological formation of Cape Kidnappers which, according to Maori mythology, is the hook used by Maui when he fished the New Zealand islands from the ocean.

http://nationalaquarium.co.nz