Some Special Features
Come and discover The Enchanted Forest, a surreal and mysterious place where fairytales collide and endless imaginations become an adventure worth exploring.
The Radiant Font
Acclaimed video artists Tim and Mic Gruchy will transform the fountain in Fountain Lake using carefully designed projected imagery, into a magical font of colour and movement with a touch of mystery. Tim’s projection ‘Perceiving The Manner Of Life’ will also be returning to the Umbrella Tree next to Fountain Lake. This piece reminds us of the unseen energies which occur through the life forces of nature in timeframes much longer than ours, making it all too easy for us to disregard the force of the powers within nature.
ITL Light Couch by James McKillop
James McKillop, an engineer at ITL Engineering Ltd has created a colour changing exhibit especially for the TSB Bank Festival of Lights. The ITL Light Couch is stationed at the Waterfall and will be the perfect place to sit for a special photo in the park and will complement the changing lights of the waterfall.
Black Light
Wander through an illuminated magical garden of gigantic flowers and a path of crunching fluorescent stones. Kaivalya creates a miraculous and surreal over-sized garden which will make you feel like you’re in a world for giants.
Fairy Forest
Have you ever wondered where the fairies live? Come and visit their homes and enter a world of fantasy and magic. Nicola Haines-Ramsay has created a fairyland fit for Tinker Bell herself. Fairies fly across the beautiful landscapes of the fairy forest, but make sure you keep your eyes peeled as you may spot them casting mighty spells of fairy magic.
Odic Time Piece
Odic Time Piece pays homage to those who have progressed the arts in Taranaki past and present, and acknowledges those in the future who will take this legacy forward. Artist Shannon Novak grew up in Oakura, he is now based in Auckland, and has been gaining national and international recognition for his large-scale illuminated ‘light box’ artworks, often attached to buildings. Starting with the base, it is identical on all four sides symbolising a common birthplace for all art forms. The colour and forms then start to shift as the timeline unfolds through past, present, and future representing the actions and emotions of many different individuals. Finally the dome brings everything full circle as all art forms are once again brought together and reborn. This installation was launched for the Taranaki International Festival of the Arts and is located on the corner of Robe Street and Devon St West.
Large Blade
Witness the stunning Large Blade kinetic feature designed by artist Len Lye and kindly loaned to the festival by Lynda and John Matthews. Large Blade stands at an imposing 3.6m and shakes the surroundings with an impressive visual and acoustic seven minute performance.
Fernery and Display Houses
Internationally renowned attraction, the Fernery and Display houses, have ever-changing plant displays created from a fusion of plant material ranging from New Zealand natives and seasonal flowering plants to exotic plants from all around the world. Come and see the Rongoa display, Rongoa is the Maori term for medicines that are produced from native plants in New Zealand. More than 200 plants were used medicinally by Maori. Some also had other uses like food, weaving, carving and other purposes.
The New Plymouth Floral Art Club
48 members of the Floral Art Club have explored the enchanted forest and created some amazing floral designs. They can be found floating, hanging, flying and hiding. Children will be enchanted and adults amazed.
Kaivalya Aerial Performance
Watch this enchanting character dance through the air with the lightness and grace of other worldly proportions. An endearing fellow straight from the forests of old, here for your visual pleasure and amazement. A mystical experience.
Grimace the Gorilla
Grimace the Gorilla is one of Pukekura Parks many guardians. Although naturally shy and gentle, he is very friendly and loves to play; but his sense of fun is often cheeky and mischievous. You can find Grimace by the cricket pavilion swinging through the trees and he also enjoys coming down, especially for photos. If he is not in his tree Grimace may be elsewhere in the park, probably having a sleep somewhere or searching for bananas.
