A free interactive roadshow that brings to life Pacific voyaging and New Zealand's histories will be in Tauranga from 17 to 18 October. It will be open to the public and located at the Masonic car park, behind the Tauranga Art Gallery.

Ministry of Education acting deputy secretary Rose Jamieson, says having a roadshow enables learning opportunities from the Tuia 250 commemoration to be brought closer to the community and supports a learning experience for children and their waānau.

"Tamariki can immerse themselves in a virtual waka hourua experience, see holograms of taonga from Te Papa, and also make their own hologram. There's an activity book available in te reo Māori and English to support their own learning," says Rose.

The roadshow includes visual and interactive content featuring voyaging and navigation, encounters and settlement, Aotearoa now, and our shared future. Visitors can make their own planisphere, a map of the night sky, to take away, and explore native plants and seeds while creating art at the lightbox table. All visitors are also encouraged to share their views about their community and what they think is important to them.

The artwork in the roadshow is equipped with augmented reality features so visitors can find out more information using devices at the roadshow, or through their smartphone using the free Tuia Matauranga app.

The gallery's education manager, Melissa McDonald, says they're hoping that elderly residents will visit the roadshow as much as children and families.

"This is an amazing educational resource and chance to learn about navigation histories of the Pacific, which we hope will encourage conversations and increase interest in Aotearoa's history."

Melissa says there are opportunities to explore more about their local history within their region.

"We also have a new exhibition Te Rangi Haupapa - A Woven History at Tauranga Art Gallery from 19 October to 8 March 2020.This exhibition is the first partnership with the Tauranga Heritage Collection and The Elms to explore aspects of regional history and leading contemporary artists through a Te Ao Maori lens."

The Tauranga roadshow event is a partnership between the Ministry of Education, Tauranga City Council, and Tauranga Art Gallery.

Locals can also take part in the first-ever national GeoTour to discover local sites of interest. Similar to a treasure hunt, participants use the free Geocaching mobile app to find code words hidden in different locations all around Aotearoa, which includes areas in the Bay of Plenty. The Tuia Matauranga National GeoTour is open until October 2020.