Two years in the making, the park sees Ohakune’s famous giant carrot joined by a cartoon carrot, as well as a swede, potato, and Brussels sprout. A parsnip will be added later.
There’s a bike track in the park, a playground, and a Mazda carrot car carved out of a log of old-man pine, while information boards about vegetables, Chinese growers and forestry are a homage to the district’s history.
As well as the cartoon veges, which have been fashioned out of high-density polystyrene and then fibreglassed by sculptor Mike Walsh, there’s a heritage path with bricks naming the many growers who have been part of the Ohakune community over the years.
Visit Ruapehu’s marketing manager Jo Kennedy said there had been a “fantastic turnout” at the opening, with people of all ages enjoying the fun.
“We had hundreds of people there, a good mixture of locals and visitors. The sun came out and even the mountain [Ruapheu] peaked out from the clouds for a while.
“It was a really positive event,” Ms Kennedy said.
She said the formalities took about an hour, as each new item in the park was unveiled separately.
“The great thing was that a lot of people stayed on afterwards, just to chat and enjoy the park.”
