Toy-maker hits town, proving wood works

Christopher Cape's unique wooden toys have delighted kindergarten kids around the country.

Toys of all shapes and sizes are being distributed to early childhood centres across the country.

Since moving to Dannevirke at the start of the month, wooden toy-maker Christopher Cape has been delighting kindergarten-aged children with his handcrafted figurines.

He has managed to attract the attention of kindergartens around the region, including Havelock North, Waipukurau, Dannevirke, and models at the Dannevirke Community Market.

Mr Cape operates Chunky Toys under the banner of Capercaillie Enterprises.

Over his career, Mr Cape has sold toys as far south as Bluff and as far east as Napier.

"I started in 1982 when it was very popular but by the end of the 90s, there was no real interest in wooden toys, as the plastic revolution had taken over," Mr Cape said.

"At the end of 2010, I saw that people were interested and managed to sell quite a few to kindergartens and Lollipops.

"There was a renaissance of wooden toys in 2011 and I have been riding that wave ever since."

His repertoire includes fire engines, trucks, helicopters, boats and World War I fighter bombers, among others.

Each toy is handcrafted out of his Dannevirke home and is made out of timber and is glued, screwed and painted in bright colours.

"Part of my philosophy is to make what people want and I make on order.

"That is how the Maori and indigenous range came into being, including waka, huts, fences and wooden figures."