The Tairawhiti Museum, with its fab gallery extension, focuses on East Coast Māori and colonial history. It is Gisborne’s arts hub, with rotating exhibits and excellent historic photographic displays. There's also a maritime wing, with displays on waka, whaling and Cook’s Poverty Bay, although these pale in comparison to the vintage surfboard collection. There’s also a shop, and a cafe overlooking Kelvin Park. Outside is the reconstructed Wyllie Cottage (1872), Gisborne’s oldest house.
