Now this was one of my absolute favourite giraffes. Called Moa Giraffe by Mandii Pope, it was located by the Cashmere Valley Reserve (specifically, the playground) which was the perfect place given its connection to the natural world and its sense of fun.
This extinct bird is one of the iconic symbols of New Zealand, but obviously a two-legged flightless bird doesn't translate too well into the form of a giraffe. Yet Pope found a way: by painting its back legs to look like moa legs, and covering its front with native ferns, complete with two large eggs and baby hatchlings.
Its body is covered in feathers, its nose is painted as a beak, and its ears and ossicones have become feathers. The finishing touch is a Māori Koru Headband (so we can infer this is a female giraffe, if the presence of eggs wasn't already a giveaway).
It was one of my favourites, just for the novelty of the idea and the way it was carried off. A moa that looks like a giraffe. Genius.
Oh cool! I've never seen this one before. Is there a map? Maybe the small one and I could go giraffe hunting?
ReplyDeleteAww, I saw these back in 2014 and I've been slowly posting the photos here ever since, HOWEVER, there are some still dotted around the city. I know the Queen of Hearts one is on display at a garden in Sumner. However, I have heard there's going to be a new display with penguins out soon!
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