New Zealand Moa Statue

The New Zealand Moa statue stands near the edge of the lake as a life-sized bronze replica of the flightless bird that once roamed these islands. It commemorates the extinct creatures that stood up to twelve feet tall before human settlement altered the landscape. Local artist Mark Hill cast this sculpture to bring a sense of the prehistoric back to the modern town center. It marks the spot where archaeologists once unearthed moa bones, identifying the site as an ancient hunting camp for Māori settlers.