The Giant Wētā

The Giant Wētā by Hippathy Valentine, Andrew Benson and Auckland Burners.

The Giant Wētā is a 50:1, fire breathing, scale model of a wētāpunga which was a Black Rock City 2016 Honoraria recipient. It was built in Auckland, shipped to Burning Man and then returned to New Zealand where it attended Kiwiburn 2017 and Splore 2017. It was finally gifted to Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre where it is now permanently installed next to the building that houses it's wētāpunga breeding programme.

The Giant Wētā

As presented at Burning Man 2016

Photo by Cliff Baise

At Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre

Photo by Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre

Crew in front of the wētā

Photo by Amy Potenger

Crew building the wētā

Photo by Amy Potenger

As presented at Kiwiburn 2017

Photo by Paul Chaffe

As presented at Splore 2017

Photo by Nic Caro

Wētā during build

Photo by Shelley Watson

Hippathy with the wētā at Kiwiburn 2017

Photo by Peter Jennings

As presented at Kiwiburn 2019

Unknown photographer