fiachra being scared of the giant kiwi statue near motueka - big things in the south island, new zealand
New Zealand,  South Island

21 Big Things In South Island | Giant Sculptures New Zealand

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Last Updated On 14th December 2024 By Lauren | Wild Lovely World

Home » Blog » Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » 21 Big Things In South Island | Giant Sculptures New Zealand

Here is it, part two of the Big Things in New Zealand – this time focusing on giant novelty sculptures and BIG THINGS in the South Island! I already covered all the giant things in the North Island in this blog post here. Creating that post was so much fun, I am proud to present to you all the giant things in the South Island waiting for you to discover!

As we have established in part one, New Zealand is a small country but it does have a lot of BIG things. These giant wacky, novelty sculptures are what make New Zealand so great. You can see New Zealand’s love of giant sculptures in many small towns across the country. The ‘Big Things’ of New Zealand are usually a nod to the history, culture and claims to fame for the town.

Many of the big sculptures across New Zealand are roadside attractions. They may mark the entrance to a town or be a prominent feature in the town’s central square.

Big Things South Island New Zealand Road Trip

I spent three wonderful years adventuring across New Zealand, and during my travels, I found it great fun to visit these giant sculptures. From massive sausages to Simpson’s doughnuts, giant seafood to endemic dinosaur-looking birds… you will find all kinds of interesting and creative big things across the South Island.

This blog post is a guide to all of the South Island’s big things – an incredible 21 Big Things! I have created a map and added plenty of photos, so you will be well equipped to go giant sculpture hunting across New Zealand yourself. On your journey, you’ll learn about the ‘kiwiana’ of New Zealand and the cultural or historical significance of the places you visit.

If you’re road-tripping around New Zealand, why not use this list to make a kind of road-trip game? Like, “I spy a giant bird beginning with T” 👀 (I’m sure you can make it more fun, haha).

South Island: 21 Big Things – Giant Sculptures In New Zealand

lauren smiling at the camera in front of the cromwell giant fruit sculptures - big things in the south island
Lauren in Cromwell with the giant fruit! – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

Related Read: 25 Big Things In North Island | New Zealand Giant Sculptures

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‘Big Things’ South Island Giant Sculptures Map

Below is a custom map that I made on Google Maps showing the locations of all the big things and giant sculptures in the South Island. Save this map for later using the ★ icon.

21 Big Things In South Island Photos, Info & Locations

Here are giant sculptures and big things in the South Island of New Zealand – organised in a clockwise direction beginning in the north and going right around the South Island.

1. Kaikoura – Crayfish 🦞

First up we have the giant crayfish of Kaikoura. Kaikoura is a town that is best known for sealife, specifically whales and dolphins.

I visited Kaikoura a few times during my time living in New Zealand and I always had a great experience. A visit to Kaikoura is worth a spot on your itinerary to see the wonderful, amazing New Zealand wildlife. I ticked off my dream of seeing a whale in real-life by taking the Kaikoura Whale Watching Tour (I highly recommend doing this tour – get tickets on Get Your Guide). 🐳

Most people travel to Kaikoura to see whales, dolphins and seals – there are amazing opportunities to see wildlife in Kaikoura (check out this wildlife kayak tour on Get Your Guide). But Kaikoura is also known for another sea creature – the crayfish.

The name Kaikoura literally means ‘meal of crayfish’, so a giant crayfish would be the only logical choice for a big thing in this cool South Island town! Kaikoura is called the ‘Crayfish Capital of New Zealand’ and you will find there are plenty of spots to try this local food. The most popular would be the Crayfish Kitchen (website).

If you want to see the BIG crayfish and not just taste one, then head to the Lobster In Tavern on Beachroad. They have a giant crayfish mounted on the outside of the building!

Location of Giant Crayfish: 115 Beach Road, Kaikōura 7300, New Zealand (Google Maps

lauren looking through the springfield giant doughnut monument in new zealand - a big pink donut with multicoloured sprinkles
Lauren looking through the giant doughnut monument in Springfield, New Zealand – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

2. Springfield – Doughnut 🍩

The most fun of all the giant sculptures in the South Island is the Springfield doughnut! The town of Springfield is home to a big pink doughnut with sprinkles that looks just like the doughnuts that Homer Simpson loves in the long-running animated comedy The Simpsons.

The Simpsons cartoon is set in the town of Springfield in the U.S. So it is very fitting that Springfield in New Zealand has their own Homer Simpson donut!

homer simpson and bart simpson and a group of children standing with the giant springfield doughnut new zealand
The Simpsons with the giant Springfield doughnut – Photo by 20th Century Fox Press Release

Springfield Giant Doughnut History

In fact, the giant doughnut was first given to Springfield as a gift from 20th Century Fox Films as a promotion for The Simpsons Movie in 2007. Local artist Steve Tevella constructed the 3.5-metre diameter fibreglass doughnut in Christchurch. Springfield held a celebration to mark to unveiling of the donut with characters from the movie present.

The doughnut was only supposed to be temporary. But the giant doughnut was so popular with locals and tourists that the town committee applied to keep it permanently.

However, in 2009 the Springfield giant donut was the target of an arson attack. Locals believe the arson attack was targeted because some people were unhappy about it remaining in the town longer than planned.

The beloved donut’s story was not over. Determined to resurrect the previous doughnut, locals replaced it with a pink-painted tyre with a bite taken out of it.

Three years later, in 2012, a concrete version of the giant donut was replaced the makeshift monument in Springfield. This version remains there to this day!

Visiting the Springfield big doughnut is a fun activity. There are steps and a platform so you can climb up and look through the hole of the doughnut – as you can see I did in my photo!

Location of Giant Donut: West Coast Road, Springfield 7681, New Zealand (Google Maps)

rakaia giant salmon sculpture - big things south island new zealand
Rakaia’s giant salmon sculpture – Photo in Public Domain

3. Rakia – Salmon 🐟

Heading down State Highway 1 south of Christchurch you’ll pass by the giant salmon statue at Rakaia. The 12-metre-high salmon has become an iconic landmark for travellers down the highway from Christchurch.

Sculptor Philip Price made the big salmon from steel, wood and fibreglass and it was placed at Raikaia in 1991.

The Rakaia River flowing through the town is a popular spot for salmon and trout fishing. The river is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. It flows from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The rivers dazzling blue colour is due to the reflections from glacial sediment.

The salmon in New Zealand isn’t native. British settlers introduced salmon to New Zealand as a game fish in the late 1800s. Since salmon’s introduction to New Zealand, the country has developed a strong reputation for delicious salmon.

Location of Big Salmon: 73 Elizabeth Avenue, Rakaia 7710, New Zealand (Google Maps)

waimate white horse monument view from the top of the hill showing fields and sea in distance under a blue sky
View from the White Horse Monument in Waimate – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

4. Waimate – White Horse 🐎

The Waimate white horse is a bit of a different big thing in New Zealand but I felt that it was worthwhile to include it in this list.

The big white horse monument is 18.29 metres high and 14.63 metres long. It sits over 396 m above sea level in Waimate.

The monument was constructed in the 1960s from white concrete blocks. At the time, Waimate wanted to promote industry and holiday attractions in the area. A local farmer gave 10ha to the Waimate Development Society for construction of a lookout and park overlooking the town.

The Uffington White Horse of England inspired the idea for the big Waimate horse monument, but locals wanted to commemorate the Clydesdale Horse.

Waimate was a farming community and relied on the Clydesdales to assist them with pulling the ploughs and transporting goods to the railways. Horses also pulled carts around the town to deliver milk and groceries.

It took three months to lay out the blocks with a team of volunteers led by Norman Hayman. Norman was an admirer of the horses and grew up with them on his family farm.

Visiting the big white horse monument is a unique and fun activity in the South Island. The park has bike and walking trails to enjoy as well as lookouts over the town and towards the ocean.

Location of Big White Horse: Centrewood Park Road, Waimate 7979, New Zealand (Google Maps)

lauren standing with the giant motorbike at the steampunk hq museum in oamaru new zealand
Lauren with the giant motorbike at the Steampunk HQ in Oamaru – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

5. Oamaru – Steampunk Motorbike & Chocolate Fish 🏍️

Oamaru is a cool town in the South Island and every time I visited there I always had heaps of fun! The coastal town is well-known for its little blue penguin colony (super cute, get tickets to view them on Get Your Guide) but for steampunk. Oamaru is known as not only the ‘Steampunk Capital of New Zealand’ but of the entire world.

The town has a Victorian precinct and the historical street is unusual for New Zealand. It is an original collection of Victorian buildings that were built between 1865 and 1885 from locally quarried limestone. They are now used as shops, bakeries, cafes and art galleries. I love Oamaru’s Victorian precinct – I think it looks so cool and is super historic for New Zealand!

The old days feeling expanded to incorporate the Victorian/industrial steampunk themes in the town. Wandering around Oamaru you will find many nods to steampunk, including a playground, sculptures, public artwork and a museum.

Giant Motorbike at Steampunk HQ

Steampunk HQ was founded in 2011 but passionate steampunkers who wanted to showcase their projects to the public. A visit to the museum is a cheap and fun activity to do in Oamaru for a few hours. We had good fun visiting and seeing the steampunk exhibits, creations and inventions in the museum.

Outside there is a yard with big steampunk creations – including a giant motorbike. Many of the items are made from recycled materials like scrap metal.

fiachra looking happy with his arms stretched out outside the rainbow confectionery factory sweet shop in oamaru new zealand. on the wall is a rainbow and giant 3D sweets
Fiachra at the Rainbow Confectionery sweet factory in Oamaru – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

Giant Chocolate Fish at Rainbow Confectionery

Also located in Oamaru is the Rainbow Confectionery Company! They have a factory shop located on State Highway 1 that you can visit. On the outside of the building are various sweets coming out of a pot at the end of the rainbow, including a giant chocolate fish!

Chocolate fish are popular sweets/candy in New Zealand. They are made from a pink marshmallow covered in milk chocolate in the shape of a fish. Fiachra absolutely loves chocolate fish and bought a big bag in the factory shop. Why not check it out while you’re in Oamaru?

  • Location of Giant Motorbike/Steampunk HQ: 1 Humber Street, Oamaru 9400, New Zealand (Google Maps)
  • Location of Giant Chocolate Fish/Rainbow Confectionery: 459 Thames Highway, Oamaru North, Oamaru 9400, New Zealand (Google Maps)
harbour mouth molars sculpture by regan gentry in dunedin - big things south island
Harbour Mouth Molars by Regan Gentry – Photo by Schewde66 on Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0

6. Dunedin – Molars (Teeth) 🦷

Maybe one of the strangest big things in New Zealand is the giant teeth on the shoreline of a Dunedin park.

The ‘Harbour Mouth Molars’ sculptures were installed in 2010 at Kitchener Street Park.

Sculptor Regan Gentry designed the giant teeth. He was a student in Dunedin (a popular university town) and had difficulty with his wisdom teeth. Inspired by the University of Otago’s dentistry school (the only dental school in New Zealand) and Otago Peninsula’s volcanic origins, he saw connections in the history of the region. The idea is that molars are usually painfully emerging teeth and new landforms get thrust up by volcanoes.

The six big teeth are made of Oamaru limestone and concrete and have ‘erupted’ from the Otago Harbour.

The artwork is not a particular favourite for locals and it has been repeatedly attacked and vandalised. Additionally, over the years the giant molars were damaged by the natural wind, salt spray, and seagull droppings. In 2024, Regan Gentry returned to the molars to clean the teeth (Otago Daily Times).

Location of Harbour Mouth Molars: South Dunedin, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand (Google Maps)

7. Mosgiel – Mosgiel Sign (Mollywood)

A giant white sign on a hillside, in the style of the famous Hollywood sign, has been erected in Mosgiel since 1987.

The Mosgiel sign has brought significant attention to the tiny town in the South Island. The sign was the idea of a man named Neil Buckley, a member of the Mosgiel Rotary Club (NZ Herald). He wanted to “put Mosgiel on the map” and so the Mosgiel sign was born.

It was built in 1987, is 18-metres long and each letter is 3 metres high and made from glassed polystyrene fibre.

The sign is on Saffle Hill and is visible from State Highway 1 to traffic heading north and south.

As for Mosgiel itself – there isn’t much to it apart from the sign. Despite the nickname ‘Mollywood’.

Location of Mosgiel Mollywood Sign: 11C Woodland Avenue, Mosgiel 9024, New Zealand (Google Maps)

clydesdale horse sculpture on roadside in clinton town on south island new zealand
Clydesdale Horses in Clinton – Photo by WildmanNZ on Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0

8. Clinton – Clydesdale Horses 🐴

South Island’s love of horses continues in the tiny rural town of Clinton.

Five lifelike statues of Clydesdale horses are located under a shelter by the side of State Highway 1 that passes through the village.

Local David Mackie created to sculptures from concrete to represent the area’s agricultural history. Not only did Mackie create the iconic roadside stop that basically ‘put Clinton on the map’ he also contributed a lot to the small town. In 2014 he was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for his community work in Clinton and South Otago (Stuff).

Location of Clydesdale Horses: 1 Manse Street, Clinton 9534, New Zealand (Google Maps)

giant brown trout sculpture in gore - world capital of brown trout fishing - with a sign saying welcome to gore
Gore’s giant brown trout statue – Photo by Mr Bungle on Wikimedia CC BY 2.5

9. Gore – Brown Trout & Guitar 🎸

Gore may not be a stop for everyone travelling in New Zealand (unfortunately it is pretty much the only large town in New Zealand that we didn’t go to!) but despite the gory name, the town has many attractions and things to do. That includes two iconic giant sculptures – a brown trout and a guitar.

Why these two things?

Country Music Capital Of New Zealand

Well firstly, Gore is known as the home of country music in New Zealand. The giant 7.5-metre guitar statue is called ‘Hands of Fame’ and is a tribute to country music artists from New Zealand and worldwide. Over the years Gore has developed a reputation for country music with events, award ceremonies and music clubs.

Brown Trout Capital Of New Zealand

Nearby to the giant guitar is the giant brown trout statue. The sculpture is 9 metres tall and was unveiled in 1989. Local artist Erroll Allison created the giant fish, using steel and fibreglass (GoreNZ). I think that the giant brown trout is one of New Zealand’s most iconic big things!

Gore announced in 2022 that it has ambitions to become the ‘Brown Trout Capital of the World’ (Stuff). The town plans to build on the success of the brown trout fishing attraction and fame, including the big trout statue. The Matura River, which runs through Gore, has been a popular spot for trout fly-fishing in New Zealand since the 1870s, mostly due to its easily accessible waters.

Gore is a convenient town to drive through if you’re taking a road trip between Dunedin and Te Anau (Milford Sound) or Queenstown. That is, if you’re skipping The Catlins Forest Park (a gorgeous route on the south coast of the South Island) and the route through Invercargill.

Gore has supermarkets and a public toilet close to the giant statues.

Location of Giant Brown Trout & Guitar: Luckily, the two giant sculptures are near each other. You can find them at Ordsal Street/State Highway 1, East Gore, Gore 9710, New Zealand (Google Maps)

Related Read: 10 Best Things To Do In Curio Bay | The Catlins, New Zealand

our campervan in new zealand by the coast
Our campervan in New Zealand by the coast – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World
mural on side of building that says riverton in blue and has a brown bird flying in the middle
Mural in Riverton – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

10. Riverton – Paua Shell 🐚

If you do head further south, a visit to Riverton is well worth it. We ended up in Riverton by chance, and it turned out to be one of my favourite places in the South Island.

The gorgeous coastal town is nicknamed ‘the Riviera of the South’, and if you visit you will see why. The picturesque town has several gorgeous beaches, walks, and a small village with artists studios, cafes, a museum and stores.

Riverton’s beaches are safe for swimming and surfing. Dolphins are regular visitors to the bays and I was lucky enough to see dolphins so close to the shoreline while swimming in Riverton! Another amazing location for natural swimming with wild dolphins is in nearby Curio Bay in the Catlins, further along the coast.

The small town is a gorgeous spot for a long or short visit. It is popular with New Zealanders who take holidays there to their bachs (holiday homes).

New Zealand is known for its abundance of paua shellfish which is a Maori food delicacy. You can find paua all over New Zealand and its beautiful shiny blue and green shells are used as ornaments and to make jewellery.

Riverton’s Giant Paua Shell History

Riverton has a giant paua shell that was by the side of State Highway 99 near the town’s entrance since the early 1990s. The statue is lined with 1000 sheets of real paua shells. It has become a well-known symbol in New Zealand and in 1998 it was even featured on a series of postage stamps celebrating New Zealand’s town icons.

The history of Riverton’s paua shell goes back to a shop called Fiordland Souveniers, a family-owned manufacturer of paua shell products. They built the giant paua shell sculpture to advertise the business, but it became much more than that – a town icon.

In 2024 that giant paua shell was relocated to Koi Koi Park after the original land it was on was sold. A bid to save the paua shell from private ownership was won by the community board. The new location was decided by a town vote and plans are underway to install it after it has been refurbished and site works complete (1News).

If you like paua shells, you may also be interested in checking out the Paua House at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.

Location of Giant Paua Shell: Koi Koi Park, 3B Jetty Street, Riverton / Aparima 9822, New Zealand (Google Maps)

lauren and fiachra smiling and making shaka hand sign in front of the colac bay giant surfer sculpture in new zealand
Fiachra and Lauren at the Colac Bay surfer – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World
colac bay giant surfer statue in south island new zealand
Colac Bay’s giant surfer sculpture in the South Island – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

11. Colac Bay – Surfer 🏄‍♂️

Further down the coast from Riverton is the small settlement of Colac Bay. Colac Bay is known for surfing and a giant surfer sculpture can be found in the middle of the village.

The massive surfer statue is a pretty funny one that made us laugh when we visited it, as you can see in our photo.

Unfortunately, the surfer was looking pretty rough around the edges and the disintegration has gotten worse. In 2024 the community vowed to repair or replace to statue (Otago Daily Times).

The giant surfer was built in 1999 and took two years to build. Unfortunately funding limitations at the time prevented durability coatings from being applied to the surfer (The Press).

Hopefully, the big surfer in Colac Bay will have a future. It was one of my ’big things’ highlights from across New Zealand.

The Colac Bay freedom camping spot (Google Maps) (where we stayed for the night during our Southland adventure) is a lovely place to spend the night in your campervan overlooking the ocean.

Location of Giant Surfer: 11 Colac Bay Road, Colac Bay / Ōraka 9881, New Zealand (Google Maps)

12. Mossburn – Stag 🦌

Continuing in Southland to Mossburn you will find a giant statue of a stag!

Deer are not native to New Zealand, but deer was introduced to New Zealand in the mid-1800s. You might see many different species of deer in New Zealand but the most common is the red deer. I saw quite a few during my travels across the South Island.

Mossburn is home to one of the country’s first deer farms. The deer farm was established in Mossburn in 1972. Before that, the game processing factory has been in operation since 1962.

The deer industry is a major employer in Mossburn and the town claims to be the ‘Venison Capital of the World’. So it is no surprise that they have a giant stag to commemorate this!

The antlers on the statue are real!

Location of Giant Stag: 78 Devon Street, Mossburn 9792, New Zealand (Google Maps)

13. Te Anau – Takahe 🐦

One of the cutest giant sculptures in New Zealand has to be the giant Takahe in Te Anau!

Many visitors to Te Anau simply pass through on the way to Milford Sound. Milford Sound is a very popular and beautiful place to visit, particularly if you take a Milford Sound Cruise to explore the gorgeous landscapes and wildlife in Fiordland National Park.

The Takahe is an endemic bird to New Zealand, but it is endangered. It was actually thought to be extinct, as it was last seen in 1898 and never again for 50 years.

But the Takahe was rediscovered in 1948 after an extensive search near Te Anau.

It is very unlikely that you will see one in the wild because the Takahe has a protected population deep in the mountains and valleys of Fiordland National Park.

But there is a way that you can see Takahe in real life, and not just the giant statue!

Te Anau Bird Sanctuary

If you do visit Te Anau and want to see the rare Takahe, then you should visit the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary.

At the sanctuary, you can see many of New Zealand’s beautiful birds including Kaka, Kereru, Tua and Takahe.

I visited the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary while visiting the town and really enjoyed it! Entry to the sanctuary is free but you can also make a donation. The sanctuary is located near the lakeside a short distance from the town centre (location on Google Maps).

Takahe are really beautiful-looking birds. They have blue and green feathers and a big red beak. Fun fact: the Takahe is the biggest flightless bird in New Zealand!

I loved visiting Te Anau and seeing the giant Takahe – as you can see in my photo!

Taming The Trout

If you want to see another giant fish in New Zealand then Te Anau has another trout for you! Go down to the lakeshore and you will see a big cutout of a man holding a giant trout. You can put your head on top of the man (as you can see Fiachra did in the photo!).

Te Anau also has a lot of gems worth visiting, including a tour of the Te Anau Glowworm Caves (I highly recommend taking this tour of the glow worm caves and booking via Get Your Guide). 

I recommend spending a night or so in Te Anau, before or after the drive to Milford Sound.

Location of Giant Takahe: 90 Te Anau Terrace, Te Anau 9600, New Zealand (Google Maps)

Related Read: 8 Best Milford Sound Cruises Compared & How To Choose

14. Alexandra – Clock 🕰️

Alexandra in Central Otago has a giant clock on a hill that has been telling the time since 1968.

The big clock is 11 meters wide and sits on a hillside overlooking the town. There is a short but steep track that you can take to walk up the hill, to visit the clock or get a nice viewpoint.

Nearby the giant clock in Alexandra is the Shaky Bridge – an old, single span suspension bridge built in 1879. It was built during the gold mining era, of which there was much activity in the Central Otago region. The bridge was built to provide a river crossing for the growing town.

Location of Giant Clock: Little Valley Road, Bridge Hill, Little Valley 9320, New Zealand (Google Maps)

cromwell giant fruit sculptures - big things south island
Cromwell giant fruit sculpture – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World
lauren smiling at the camera in front of the cromwell giant fruit sculptures - big things in the south island
Lauren in Cromwell with the giant fruit! – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

15. Cromwell – Fruit (Apple, Pear, Apricot, Nectarine) 🍎🍐🍑

A super fun giant sculpture in the South Island is the big fruit of Cromwell! A huge apple, pear, apricot and nectarine are featured in Cromwell town centre.

Cromwell is a big grower of stone fruit and summer fruit and has a long history for its cultivation. As early as 1864 fruit trees were planted in the Cromwell region by an immigrant from France (Central Otago NZ).

If you head to Cromwell make sure that you eat some delicious fruit. There are local market stalls where you can buy fruit directly from the growers. Our favourite stalls we visited in the Central Otago region was the Fairview Orchard Fruit Shop and Berryland (near Roxburgh).

The big fruit is a good stopping place for a photo and there are public toilets and car parking there as well.

Cromwell is located only a short drive from the popular tourist destination Queenstown. You will pass through Cromwell on a trip between Queenstown and Wanaka (going by the State Highway and not the Cardrona Road), or on the way to Mount Cook. The Kawarau Gorge, Lake Dunstan, and the Bannockburn wine region are other noteworthy stops near Cromwell.

Location of Big Fruit: Murray Terrace, Cromwell 9310, New Zealand (Google Maps)

giant black stilt sculptures in twizel town square by noel gregg - big things south island new zealand
The Black Stilt by Noel Greg – Photo by Michal Klajban on Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0

16. Twizel – Kakī (Black Stilt) 🐦‍⬛

Heading into the Mackenzie country you’ll come to the small town of Twizel – cute name right! I lived in Twizel for around 6 months during my time living in New Zealand and I loved the scenery. It is set near many lakes (Lake Ruataniwha, Lake Ohau and Lake Pukaki), and the road to Mount Cook National Park.

Not many people know that nearby to Twizel there is a breeding centre for one of New Zealand’s most critically threatened birds – the black stilt.

Known as Kaki, the black stilt almost became extinct in 1981 when their population declined to just 23 birds. The DOC began a recovery programme to save the Kaki, and the captive breeding centre near Twizel works on increasing the bird’s numbers in captivity. So far, the programme has been successful and they have increased breeding pairs from 4 in 1999 to 41 in 2024 (DOC).

The Kaki is endemic to New Zealand and is the country’s only wading bird species. Maori regard it as a taonga species – a living treasure.

In honour of the Kaki, if you head to the main square in Twizel you will find a sculpture of giant Kaki birds. The big stilts in Twizel are 4m high and local blacksmith Noel Gregg made them. The real Kaki are small birds, with long pink legs, red eyes, and all black feathers, and a long black bill. 

The biggest threats to them are habitat loss and predators, mostly non-native mustelids like stoats and weasels as well as feral cats.

Location of Big Black Stilts: 3/18 Market Place, Twizel 7901, New Zealand (Google Maps)

lauren and fiachra standing in front of the hokitika beach sign made of driftwood, with a blue sky and the sun high behind them
Lauren and Fiachra at the Hokitika Beach Sign – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

17. Hokitika – Beach Sign 🏖️

The lovely, handcrafted-looking, made-of-driftwood Hokitika sign is an iconic town sign on the South Island. And even though it doesn’t quite fit the giant sculpture criteria, I am including it in this list of big things in the South Island because it is a big sign, and also because it is super cute!

Hokitika is a fun and kitschy seaside town on the West Coast. I visited several times when I was living in Fox Glacier as it was my nearest town for groceries and other amenities. The town has a long history which was recently made a bit famous when it was used as the setting for the book and TV show The Luminaries.

Hokitika Beach Sign History

The driftwood beach sign has origins going back to 1998, when a local man named Don Neale built the sign on the beach (The Press). The crafty beach sign gained popularity and so he felt compelled to take care of it ever since. So for pretty much 26 years, this guy has been maintaining this hugely popular tourist attraction by himself! That is pretty sweet.

The handmade sign is made up of driftwood from the beach (of which there is lots!) and tied together with flax (Harakeke), a native and ancient New Zealand plant and material used by Maori for centuries.

Hokitika is a lovely town to take a walk along the beach and the shops around town. If you want to venture off the beaten path, then there are loads of hidden gems in Hokitika that I recommend you visit. The list includes Hokitika Gorge, Lake Mahinapua, Lake Kaniere, and the Glow Worm Dell!

Location of Hokitika Beach Sign: 72 Beach Street, Hokitika 7810, New Zealand (Google Maps)

our campervan under the giant kiwi sculpture near motueka new zealand
Our campervan under the giant kiwi near Motueka, New Zealand – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World
fiachra being scared of the giant kiwi statue near motueka - big things in the south island, new zealand
Fiachra being scared by the giant kiwi in Lower Moutere, South Island, New Zealand – Ⓒ Wild Lovely World

18. Lower Moutere – Kiwi

We came across this giant sculpture of a kiwi bird purely by chance as we were visiting Motueka.

The huge sculpture claims to be ‘The World’s Largest Permanently Sited Kiwi’.

I’m not really sure what the story is behind this giant kiwi, as it seems to be on someone’s residential property.

Whatever the reason is, I think this giant kiwi is very impressive and a real hidden gem.

Location of World’s Largest Kiwi: Moana Loop, Lower Moutere 7175, New Zealand (Google Maps)

19. Tuatapere – Sausage 🌭

Tuatapere is the self-declared ‘Sausage Capital of New Zealand’. Why? Because it has a butcher making sausages… Okay, I know, I know, it isn’t the most elaborate story, especially judging by all the others on this list!

Leo Henderson created the original Tuatapere Sausage recipe in the 1980s. The sausages sold all around the country and grew in popularity. The Tuatapere sausages even won sausage competitions (that’s a thing?) around the world.

In 2017, a radio station in New Zealand hosted a contest and asked listeners to decide which small town in New Zealand should get a monument. Tuatepere won the contest, and a giant sausage on a fork was delivered to the town to celebrate the famous sausages.

The big sausage in Tuatapere was 3 metres long and had been proudly displayed in the town for many years.

It was believed that the big sausage had gone forever.

But after doing lots of research and asking locals I’ve been informed (thank you to Last Light Lodge) that the big sausage is still in Tuatapere!

The Tui Base Camp restaurant is now in possession of the big sausage and it is outside their restaurant.

The Tuatapere Sausages are still for sale and you can also buy them at Tui Base Camp. They sell lots of different flavours!

tuatapere new zealand's sausge capital - last n.z. town to see the summer sun set... - roadside sign at the entrance to tuatapere
Roadside Sign at the entrance to Tuatapere town – Photo by Geof Wilson on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Previous Big Things In The South Island

Here is a list of more big things in the South Island that are no longer there.

giant sandly sculpture at the bushmans centre in pukekura west coast south island
Giant sandfly in Pukekura – Photo by Paora on Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0

20. Pukekura – Sandfly 🦟

Heading over to the wild West Coast of the South Island and you would once have seen a giant sandfly!

Yes, sandflies are everyone’s worst nightmare – definitely mine, because they always bite me and I react super badly to them!

If you haven’t been unlucky enough to encounter a sandfly, if you head to the West Coast then you are almost guaranteed to be bitten by one of these very annoying things (took a lot of restraint not to insert a swear word there!)

West Coast Sandflies

I lived on the West Coast for around 9 months (Fox Glacier) during my Working Holiday in New Zealand. And even though I loved it – the dramatic scenery, serene remoteness, fascinating history – I could not get used to the sandfly!

Sandflies are tiny black flies, but they deliver one hell of a bite. They are incredibly itchy, and cause redness and swelling. The West Coast has their own species of sandfly!

Pukekura Bushman’s Centre

Driving State Highway 6 on the West Coast is the tiny village of Pukekura. There’s only a few buildings here, but one of them used to have a giant sandfly on the front of it!

The Bushman’s Centre once had a pub, accommodation and a museum, but it closed in 2019. Could it be due to the fact they were serving roadkill possum pies on the menu? Maybe. (No seriously guys roadkill possum pies, there’s a photo of the menu here 🤢)

Pukekura claims to be the smallest town on the South Island, with a current population of 6.

Related Read: 18 FREE & Cheap Things To See & Do In Fox Glacier

giant wheelbarrow sculpture in hokitika - big things south island new zealand
Hokitika giant wheelbarrow – Photo by Mike Dickison on Wikimedia CC BY 4.0

21. Hokitika – Wheelbarrow

Lastly, Hokitika displayed a giant wheelbarrow near the southern entry to the town.

The wheelbarrow was enormous and it was one of the world’s biggest working wheelbarrows. 

The wheelbarrow was located in a field on Hau Hau Road.

It is no longer there, but it looked pretty impressive!

Big Things In The South Island – New Zealand Giant Sculptures – Thanks For Reading!

Thanks so much for reading this blog post about BIG Things in the South Island of New Zealand. I love that New Zealand has these funny and novelty sculptures dotted across the country. These giant sculptures are a way to remember and celebrate a place’s history, industry, and culture. Finding these big things across the South Island makes for interesting roadside photo stops. If you love this, then you’ll love finding big things in the North Island too! There’s even more than the South Island! My Giant Sculptures in New Zealand Google Map will help you locate them, and this blog post has all the giant sculptures in the North Island. Have fun! – Lauren x

wild lovely world thanks for reading end of blog post
Thanks for reading! 🙂 – © Wild Lovely World

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Lauren is a coffee and cat obsessed travel writer from the U.K., specialising in travelling on a budget as a solo female and in a couple. She moved to Australia solo at age 19 and has since lived in 7 different countries around the world, including teaching English in Japan, living in a campervan in New Zealand and hiking all across Scotland. Her style is travelling slow and she is an expert on moving abroad and long-term travel. She spends a lot of time working on her blog WildLovelyWorld.com, cuddling her partner Fiachra and day-dreaming of her next trip.

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