Ohakune has its carrot ... and Dargaville has its kumara

A kumara formerly known as Doug Freshly is getting bigger and bigger.
He first took root in kumara grower Hal Harding's mind, emerging early last year as an idea for a giant kumara at the entrance to Dargaville - an icon to rival the big L&P; bottle at Paeroa, the oversize carrot at Ohakune and the huge kiwifruit at Te Puke.
In a contest to design the giant kumara, Baylys Beach restaurateur and artist Kate Northover and John Schilt, of Wellington, shared the $500 first prize.
Ms Northover's gnome-like design was first created as a 20cm-tall ceramic figure which Mr Harding was affectionately calling Doug Freshly, a name dreamed up years ago by a co-operative grower but never used commercially. He said he had approval to use it for his icon project, dubbed Kumara Power.
Critics then began bagging the project and, like a clever kumara, Mr Harding kept his head down, becoming rather cautious in his comments.
But the kumara formerly known as Doug Freshly has now grown to a metre tall, made of papier mache by Ms Northover, looking a bit more sober than the little prototype but just as jolly.
He's standing in the foyer of Newman Engineering in Beach Rd, Dargaville, the business premises of Direction Dargaville chairwomen Margaret Bishop, a firm supporter of Kumara Power.
Mrs Bishop thinks purple Doug has a lot more going for him than just good taste: "I think he's quite cute and I might run away with him."
Even Mr Harding was pleased with the way his idea had grown into such an appealing kumara.
"As soon as you see him he certainly brings a smile to your face."
But Mr Harding revealed another contest may have to be held to find a new name for the proposed icon. And he was keeping clear of any hot sweet potatoes for the time being by immersing himself in kumara harvesting on his Pouto Rd farm.
So how will a papier mache vegetable grow to an imposing 10m-tall figure at the entrance to Dargaville, showing the world he is king of all the kumara and certainly more important than the Ohakune carrot?
The icon could be made of steel and wire-netting, covered with fibreglass or concrete.
The Kaipara District Council is expected to decide where it could go, but Kumara Power's preferred site is the grass area on the town side of the Northern Wairoa Bridge. The only other location mentioned has been the corner of River Rd and Logan St at Mangawhare.
There's a lot of work to hoe through before the model kumara grows to icon reality, but Mrs Bishop was certain of community support for the project.