Museum of Kawatiri – Pounamu Pathway, Westport, New Zealand.

The Museum of Kawatiri in Westport is the second major development in the Pounamu Pathway, a collaboration between Poutini Ngāi Tahu and Wētā Workshop. Formerly the Coaltown Museum, it has been transformed into an immersive storytelling hub celebrating the Buller District’s identity, heritage, and resilience.

The centre explores the natural and cultural taonga that shaped the region—pounamu, coal, and gold—alongside the industrious spirit of its people and animals. Visitors journey through rich audio-visual displays, from early Māori artefacts and a replica Denniston Incline with mine cart and tunnel, to a mini-theatre of local recollections and a working historic dredge engine.

Like Māwhera Pā, GH Commercial partnered with RM Designs to supply a custom-designed carpet that enriches both the cultural and sensory experience of the Museum of Kawatiri. While the pattern echoes the Greymouth installation, the Westport version features a unique palette—warm yellows, earthy browns, and deep coal blacks—reflecting Kawatiri’s industrial heritage and geological treasures of pounamu, coal, and gold.

Created with GH Commercial’s Australian‑made Designer Jet® technology, the carpet offers unlimited custom colours and patterns, along with an ACCS extra heavy-duty rating for durability, stain resistance, and noise insulation—perfect for the high-traffic museum boutique.

Designer Jet® products meet strict sustainability standards, using less water, chemicals, and dyes than traditional methods, and are Declare Red List free.

Completed in 2025, the project blends technology, storytelling, and design to honour Māori identity and West Coast history, marking another milestone in the Pounamu Pathway.

Product:  Custom Designer Jet® Carpet
Year Completed: 2025
Carpet Design: RM Designs, Laura Goddard