Dinosaur coming to life in West Auckland

Dinosaur coming to life in West Auckland

Rotorua, 29 November, 2011 – A massive dinosaur is coming to life in a West Auckland studio and will soon be trucked south to become a focal point of Rainbow Springs new water ride.

The 3.5 metre high and 7 metre long computer modelled dinosaur has taken 5 staff at Mainreactor in Henderson 6 weeks to bring to life with painstaking detail and accuracy, and will be helicoptered into place at its new Rotorua home in a couple of weeks.

Rainbow Springs’ Project Director Stewart Brown says, "Without giving too much away, the dinosaur is going to provide a few thrills for the riders along the way. Its sheer size and lifelike appearance will be very realistic and quite breathtaking."

Mainreactor specialises in props, prosthetics and models, and the team has worked on the likes of the Narnia movie and television's Spartacus series. They are also creating a life size Moa, Haast eagle, Kiwi, rat and stoat, as well as two large trees, that will become part of the Big Splash.

"The Haast eagle's dramatic attack on the moa during the ride shows the power and strength of New Zealand's now extinct massive native eagle, which is believed to have attacked its prey at up to 80 kilometres an hour. It will be very dramatic," Mr Brown says.

The Big Splash will take boats of up to 8 people on a 9 minute long fun and educational journey through the ecological evolution of New Zealand with an adrenalin boosting plunge at the end. The 10-million dollar plus ride is expected to be a major draw-card for Rotorua, giving international and local visitors an exciting insight into New Zealand history and culture.

The project also includes construction of an outdoor 384-seat, free-flight bird show auditorium, that will be completed in the next week or so. The development is the largest single investment made in the park since it opened in 1932.

Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park is an icon of New Zealand tourism and has been open since 1932. Spread over 22 acres of Rotorua parkland, Rainbow Springs is a conservation and breeding haven for endangered New Zealand species such as Kiwi and tuatara. The park offers a unique wildlife experience for visitors, who can see animals in their natural environment, both during the day and night. Features of the award winning tourist attraction include New Zealand’s first ‘open to view’ Kiwi hatchery, and a range of wildlife including trout, tuatara and native birds.

ENDS

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