Chanelling your inner Dinosaur

The little Sparrow hopping around my balcony is actually the most successful animal that ever existed. Smart enough to evolve through a catastrophic natural event that killed the big dinosaurs and still populate the world today.

Palaeontologists now know that T Rex was fully feathered and not the scaly creature we imagined.

Which is why, in a nod to their ancestors, you’ll find two Rainbow Lorikeets greeting you when you visit The Dinosaur House in Raetihi.

The Dinosaur House is a family business run by Ian and Sarah Moore and their two children, out of a 1922 heritage building they found on TradeMe.

“Locals were intrigued about what was to become of the landmark property, asking if we were going to run a BnB or hospitality venue,” Ian says.

“It took us 10 years to get the museum set up, and the end result came as a big surprise.”

Until two and a half years ago, Ian had been working as an animator at TV3 while sourcing and finding Dinosaur memorabilia from all over the world.

Just before the first COVID lockdown, the doors opened at New Zealand’s first Dinosaur Museum.

“I figured if people would divert off the beaten track to see Fred and Myrtle Flutey’s Shell House in a small town down south, they’d surely they'd come to a Dinosaur House 10 minutes out of Ohakune," Ian says.

The Moore's love their new life, and so it seems, do many others.

It’s been called the ‘best thing in the central North Island – legit big dinosaurs in Raetihi’ by enthusiastic reviewers.

Ian admits his wife and kids aren’t quite as crazy about the prehistoric giants as he is.

“Sarah tolerates the dinosaurs but isn’t the biggest enthusiast,” he laughs.

But we all get to spend quality time together and the kids even help front of house at the weekends.

The animatronic Dinosaurs that move and roar are the most popular exhibits, but there are also genuine skeletons and fossils along with moulds of actual dinosaur bones.

The rooms are split into carnivores, omnivores and herbivores.

There are retro dinosaur video games, and a couple of excellent documentaries to watch. The outside area is growing with the arrival of new exhibits and a sandpit where kids can brush sand to unearth skeletons is also very popular.

Ian thinks it might be about size for little people.

“Children are small and dinosaurs are big. But they’re safe because parents tell them they’re extinct and not around anymore.” He says his obsession began very young. “I made plasticine dinosaurs and then used Dad’s Super 8 camera to animate them.”

He says a light goes on when people realise these creatures, which look like movie special effects, were once living breathing beings.

So if you didn’t think you were interested in dinosaurs you might change your mind after spending time with Ian and the family at The Dinosaur House.

Open: Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 4 pm weekdays 10 am – 5 pm weekends Costs: Children and Seniors $10 Adults $15 Family groups 10% discount