Jurassic Wairarapa

BY ANDREW BONALLACK, MASSEY UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM STUDENT.
Wairarapa is being eyed for a $30m world-class dinosaur theme park backed by the special effects whizzes that made Lord of the Rings.
Wellington-based travelling museum Dinosaurs Rock says it is in discussions with Weta Workshops ? who won Oscars for their special effects in the Lord of the Rings ? and also a confidential "major supporter".
Dinosaurs Rock said the park may be near Martinborough and construction is likely to start in the next two years. It would cost up to $30 million to complete and is likely to cover 20ha.
It would include an education centre, convention rooms, playground and live exotic reptiles, including possibly a komodo dragon, the world's largest living lizard.
Weta Workshop could construct life-size replica dinosaurs, possibly including an animated brachiosaurus ? a long-necked vegetarian species that fossil evidence suggests were 25m long and weighed 37 tonnes.
Dinosaurs Rock was founded two years ago by husband and wife Jackie and Darren Bush, who describe themselves as "Jurassic Jackie" and "Dinosaur Darren".
Ms Bush said Weta Workshops have told her the dinosaurs would be "second to none" for quality.
"This will be a world-class park ? it would bring New Zealand up to the level overseas.
"Other dinosaur-themed parks in Florida and Dubai might be bigger, but only we would have Weta Workshop creations.
"People will come from all over the world to see Weta Workshop creations."
She said they met Weta Workshops head Richard Taylor and he was very supportive.
She said Wairarapa was geologically suited for the park.
"Wairarapa has limestone formations, coastlines, caves, fossils ? it has a geological beauty."
It would be important to get public support.
"We'd choose a site where locals would be accepting of the tourist influx."
Ms Bush said they had always had a dream to find a larger space for their museum, but it had been a long term goal.
"But then some higher-up interest came in, so things have come along quite quickly."
Ms Bush would not reveal who the mystery supporter was, but said he had an interest in Wairarapa and had always had a lot of interest in what Dinosaurs Rock have been doing.
They expect to meet again in two to three weeks.
Weta Workshop head Peter Taylor confirmed yesterday the Bushes had discussed the concept with him.
Although Mr Taylor said he has not seen any plans, the Bushes described the concept as "a park-like environment where you walk around, discovering history in a condensed area."
"Weta would love to be involved and we would certainly bid for the construction if there was a level of investment to make it a worthy enterprise.
"Jackie and Darren are such wonderful characters ? unique, go-getting New Zealanders ? and they bring such vitality to learning and education."
Mr Taylor said it was "stretching" to say that things were moving ahead.
"Jackie and Darren are realists, and I think it is very professional that they haven't kept coming back to us ? they'll be working on a concrete plan and investment."
"They are very good people who deserve to see their plans come to fruition. I have no doubt that with the right business model they could carry it off."
"We'd love to have another conversation with them."
Mr Taylor said it was through the movie King Kong that the Bushes became aware of Weta's abilities.
"Our relationship has grown with them because they have borrowed some of our artefacts."
Mr Taylor says life-size replica dinosaurs are "definitely feasible".
"Why shouldn't Wairarapa be home to Australasia's largest dinosaur park? It's a beautiful area."
Lord of the Rings creator Peter Jackson has a property near Masterton and has used dinosaurs in his recent hit King Kong, but a spokesman said yesterday he had no knowledge of the project and had no association with Dinosaurs Rock.