Air New Zealand's anniversary exhibition

The exhibition at Auckland's War Memorial Museum is interactive and fun for all ages. Photo / Max Lemeshenko

Air New Zealand’s anniversary exhibition is a step back in time, writes Sarah Ell

When my sister and I were little, getting on a plane to fly to Christchurch to stay with our grandparents was the ultimate in excitement. As "unaccompanied minors", we were escorted on to NAC Fokker Friendship by glamorous hostesses, got to hand out the lollies, and always had a packet of chocolate raisins as a treat.

It is this sense of excitement and glamour around air travel - whether it be around the country or around the world - which is captured by the Air New Zealand 75th anniversary exhibition, currently on at Auckland Museum. The exhibition, which has previously been seen by nearly 250,000 people at Te Papa in Wellington, is a multi-media showcase of the airline's history and achievements over three-quarters of a century. It is also an incredibly child-friendly and engaging exhibition which both brings back the "old days" but also allows a glimpse into the airline's past and future.

The first thing to really take me back are the crew uniforms lining the entrance to the exhibition. I remember both the NAC navy and white houndstooth combo, and the 1980s "blue wave" style, but the real standout for me are the Mary Quant-style "lollipop" minidresses, worn with knee-high white boots.

Another memory is stirred by the display of giant swizzle sticks; they bring back the little brown or (teal) blue trays that were handed out, defining whether you were having coffee or tea, complete with plastic swizzle stick.

The kids are straining at the leash, keen to see the promised planes, and they are not disappointed. Around the corner is the replica of the interior of a TEAL Solent flying boat from the 1950s, with its wide seats and "view" of the propeller turning out the "window".

Air New Zealand 75th anniversary exhibition, Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand. Photo / Te Papa Tongarewa Museum

Air New Zealand 75th anniversary exhibition, Auckland War Memorial Museum. Photo / Ross Land

Air New Zealand 75th anniversary exhibition, Auckland War Memorial Museum. Photo / Ross Land

The kids love strapping themselves in and pretending to order some food at their fold-down table. You would have wanted to be comfortable; in those days it took 30 hours to fly to Tahiti, with a fuel stop at Aitutaki. Over the way is another full-size cabin interior, this time of a 1960s-era DC8. This is reminiscent of a time before cattle class and the hoi polloi flying in sweatpants -- and terrorism: images on the big screen show real crockery and cutlery, ham steaks with cherries in the centre and cocktails.

It's the interactive stuff that the kids really love, with lots of touch-screens activating games and videos. One of the coolest ones lets my 5-year-old "colour his own plane", which we can then email to ourselves to get a personalised paper plane.

There are also books and puzzles and a colouring area, plus dress-ups in the "Crew Room", which see my nearly 3-year-old transformed into a small but extremely stylish flight attendant, complete with little black hat.

Unfortunately both kids are too young for the "flight entertainment of the future" simulator (you have to be 7 or older), but they enjoy trying out the Economy Skycouch, curling up together and pretending to sleep like babies. "Oh, how cute," a passing visitor says.

"If only they slept like that when we had them on a real long-haul flight," I hiss back.

Elsewhere, a big screen gives a pilot's eye simulation of the familiar approach to and touchdown at Auckland Airport, while another simulator gives us the chance to work out how to most efficiently load a plane with little blockhead passengers.

There's also a "with respect" space for crew and passengers who have died during the airline's 75 years of service, and a section on New Zealand aviation's early days.

"I can see us coming back here a few times," one mother says, trying to persuade her kids out of one of the cabin replicas - and I can see us coming back too.

Need to know

• Air New Zealand 75 Years, until May 22, 2016. Special Exhibitions Hall, free with museum entry. aucklandmuseum.com