
Taupō dinosaur sculpture Boom Boom creates a stir at Riverside Park
Amanda Maclaren described it as an 'Eyesaur', with Wendy Johnson commenting it looked 'tacky ... and ridiculous'.
Maxine Hay commented: 'Good god!! And how much did THAT MONSTROSITY COST', while Lynette Clunie said it looked like 'a cheap foil party balloon' for kids.
However, other people disagreed, saying it was 'cool'.
Thea Davies commented: 'Love it, brought a smile to my face when I saw it earlier - can't wait to see what else gets added to the trail'.
Kimberley Gillies agreed. 'He is fabulous! Well done Taupō Sculpture Trust.'
Boom Boom was created by Auckland-based artist Gregor Kregar and is the 13th artwork of Taupō's sculpture trail, which starts on the lakefront near Rifle Range Rd, continues through the town and culminates at Riverside Park.
The park will be transformed into a dedicated sculpture park to revive the space, with Boom Boom being the first of 21 artworks Taupō Sculpture Trust hopes to add to the park over the next decade.
In Kregar's concept art document, he explained the inspiration behind the piece was Taupō's environment.
'Taupō is an extremely important geological site and has produced two of the world's largest eruptions.
'My work makes reference to this history and how it has shaped and influenced the area.'
The rock base would echo 'the giant boulders that would have been ejected by the volcanic force of the Taupō eruptions ', while the Sauropod dinosaur would resonate 'with the pre-historic history of the location'.
Kregar also said the style of the dinosaur was inspired by an inflatable toy to represent the town's standing as a 'playful holiday destination'.
As part of the 2018-28 long-term plan, Taupō District Council agreed to give the trust a one-off grant of $100,000 towards a 'destination sculpture' provided the trust could raise the same amount.
Talking to the Waikato Herald this week, Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said the arts community had waited a long time for support and deserved the grant.
'We are quick to support lots of sporting events, like the Ironman and Supercars, and no one says a thing ... Why can't the arts community have a go.'
Trewavas wouldn't comment on what he thought of Boom Boom.
'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... It's certainly a bit out there, but art is meant to spark conversations. [Boom Boom] certainly does that.'
Councillor John Williamson, who holds the council's Arts and Culture portfolio, agreed.
'[The sculpture] created a lot of interest ... I personally have no objection to it.'
Williamson said he didn't believe the sculpture was a waste of money and believed it would be a 'great asset' to the town.
The sculpture park project was granted resource consent from the council in November 2023.
The trust wanted to revive the park which they believed was 'under-utilised', apart from being 'phenomenally successful for events like the Summer Concert'.
Within the next year, the trust expects to add two further sculptures.
All sculptures are selected by the trust.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NZ Herald
21 minutes ago
- NZ Herald
Coldplay kiss cam scandal: HR chief Kristin Cabot resigns
Kristin Cabot resigned as HR chief at Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. Picture / Supplied Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Already a subscriber? Sign in here Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Kristin Cabot resigned as HR chief at Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. Picture / Supplied The woman at the centre of the Coldplay kiss cam scandal has resigned. Kristin Cabot, who was caught on the jumbotron canoodling with her boss Andy Byron at the UK band's Boston concert last Wednesday, has stepped down as the HR chief at Astronomer, a job she held for less than a year. The New York-based tech company confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday, US time. 'I can confirm that Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned,' a spokesperson for the company told Page Six. It comes days after Byron also resigned from his job as the firm's CEO.

Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Running Into The Sun - National Theatre Tour Launched Today
Winner of BEST THEATRE at the 2024 Melbourne Fringe returns home TICKETS ON SALE NOW Melbourne-based, New Zealand theatre crew a2 Company are bringing their breakout work Running into the Sun home to Aotearoa. The show had a breakthrough season at the 2024 Melbourne Fringe, winning the notable combination of Best Theatre and Best Emerging Company out of more than 400 Australian and International shows. Written by Ben Ashby (former Artistic Director of Long Cloud Youth Theatre) and developed by the a2 Company ensemble, Running into the Sun is a one act play with a three piece jazz band and four contemporary dancers. The story follows Mary (Jasmine Susic) and Ash (Ben Ashby) at their university graduation house party, as they navigate an unexpected pregnancy and a flash flood hits their hometown. 'messy, joyous, heartfelt and completely off the chain.' - 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival: Judges' Picks. Running Into The Sun is a bold and empathetic work exploring what it means to be young and managing personal crises against the increasingly surreal backdrop of international climate disaster, political instability, and live-streamed war. After their success in Melbourne the a2 Company are excited to bring this show back home. 'This show could not be more specific to the New Zealand experience', says Ashby. 'I was at my Aunts house in MacAndrew bay, writing about the characters learning of a flash flood in their home town, and I got an emergency alert, telling me I was stranded, because the only road back into Dunedin had been closed due to slips. - At least I got a lot of writing done that weekend!' TICKETS ON SALE NOW Wanaka Hāwea Hall: 7 September TICKETS Christchurch Chch Arts Centre: 9 - 14 September TICKETS Auckland Basement Theatre: 16 - 20 September TICKETS Wellington Te Auaha: 1 - 4 October TICKETS a2 Company was founded in Te Whanganui a Tara - Wellington by Ben Ashby (Artistic Director Long Cloud Youth Theatre 2020-2023) and Nadiyah Akbar (Footnote NZ Dance, Movement of the Human, Joel Bray Dance). The a2 Company ensemble for the 2025 Aotearoa Tour of Running Into The Sun is: Choreographer Nadiyah Akbar; Dancers Nadiyah Akbar; Alec Katsourakis, Jasmine Susic, Luke Romero; musicians Toby Leman, Lennox Grootjans, Seth Boy; actors Ethan Morse, Ben Ashby; and designer Asha Barr.


Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Frankie Venter Is ‘Talking To The Walls' In New Single Out Today
Fresh off her international festival slot debut at Starburst in Sydney and Best Pop Artist nomination at the Aotearoa Music Awards, 18-year-old pop sensation, Frankie Venter, releases her latest single 'talking to the walls' today. Disguised by a catchy beat and soothing guitar, Venter delves into her own heartbreak from an emotionally unavailable relationship. With 'talking to the walls', Venter unveils a deeply vulnerable side of her songwriting, displaying her creative versatility to be able to produce introspective tracks and anthems that still carry the infectious pop energy Venter is known for. 'This is a song I wrote about breaking up with someone who was emotionally unavailable. I often found myself literally talking to the walls during this relationship, when the person I was with should've been the first person I could speak to about what was happening in my life,' says Venter. Co-written by collaborator Dan Martin and close friend Indyah, 'talking to the walls' was one of their earliest creations, but had been sitting unreleased for almost a year. The track also features production credits from LA-based Australian producer M-Phazes who has worked with heavy weights such as Eminem, Ruel, Teezo, Touchdown and Lucky Daye. Venter says it was time to release the song now that she's healed from the breakup. 'When I listen back to the song it's like opening a little time capsule into heart-broken Frankie's life at the time. Now that I'm over it, I think it's time to share this super vulnerable part of my life.' Venter will perform at BIGSOUND 2025 in Brisbane this September, joining Aotearoa and Australia's premier festival for emerging talent. Her new release 'talking to the walls' marks the beginning of the lead-up to her upcoming EP and is further proof of Venter's ever evolving gift at crafting superb pop hits. 'talking to the walls' is available now.