Giant gumboots and kiwifruit: New Zealand's big roadside things
Small towns in New Zealand have a cheerful habit: building a giant version of the thing they're known for, right beside the highway. They make perfect road trip stops: a photo, a stretch of the legs, a coffee and a look round the local shops. Here are the best known, roughly from north to south.
Quick list
- Paeroa: a giant L&P bottle
- Te Puke: a giant slice of kiwifruit
- Tirau: a corrugated-iron dog and sheep
- Ohakune: a big carrot
- Taihape: a giant corrugated-iron gumboot
- Bulls: a whole town of bull puns
- Rakaia: a giant salmon
- Gore: a giant brown trout
Paeroa: the L&P bottle
Paeroa, in the Hauraki district, gave its name to Lemon & Paeroa, the soft drink sold as "World Famous in New Zealand". A giant L&P bottle stands at the edge of town. Read the story of the drink in Lemon & Paeroa: New Zealand's "World Famous" Soft Drink.
Te Puke: the giant kiwifruit
Te Puke, near Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, calls itself the kiwifruit capital of the world, and the orchards around it grow a large share of the country's crop. The giant kiwifruit slice by the highway is the place for a photo. If you're visiting in autumn, you'll see the harvest in full swing; it is a popular job for working holiday visitors.
Tirau: the corrugated-iron dog and sheep
Tirau, in the Waikato, is the town of corrugated iron. Its information centre is in a building shaped like a giant sheepdog, with a matching sheep next door, and the main street is lined with corrugated-iron art. It's on State Highway 1, on the way to Rotorua or Taupō.
Ohakune: the big carrot
Ohakune, at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, is surrounded by market gardens that grow much of the North Island's carrots. The big carrot has stood there since the 1980s. In winter, the town is the base for skiing at Tūroa; in summer, for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and the Ohakune Old Coach Road cycle trail.
Taihape: the gumboot
Taihape, on State Highway 1 in the central North Island, is the Gumboot Capital of the World. The giant gumboot is made of corrugated iron, and the town holds Gumboot Day each year, with gumboot-throwing contests. It also appears in our guide to small towns of New Zealand.
Bulls: a town of puns
Bulls, in Manawatū, doesn't have one big thing; it has a big joke. Signs around town call the police station "Const-a-bull", the information centre "Inform-a-bull" and so on. It's a natural stop on the way between Wellington and the central North Island.
Rakaia: the giant salmon
Rakaia, beside one of the South Island's great braided rivers south of Christchurch, is known for salmon fishing. A giant leaping salmon greets drivers on State Highway 1.
Gore: the brown trout
Gore, in Southland, calls itself the brown trout fishing capital of the world, and a giant trout stands in the town centre. Gore is also known for country music.
Make a game of it
Road trips with children go faster with a list to tick off. See how many big things you can find (there are many more than these, such as Cromwell's giant fruit sculpture). Some local shops along the way use the Tappl card, which has games such as bingo and hunts that take you round the shops.
Checked in October 2026. Some of these sculptures are on private or council land; please be respectful when you stop.
