This paper places two decades of science curriculum reform in New Zealand in the context of international debate about the “nature of science” (NOS) as a driver of change. It outlines the sort of changes that the NOS focus was expected to deliver, why they were seen as a good idea and the challenges encountered in other countries. It then comes back to the New Zealand experience, tracing the development of the science learning area in the New Zealand Curriculum. The paper poses questions about what needs to happen next in science curriculum development.