Morrinsville Herd of Cows digital experience brings exhibition to global stage

Morrinsville's Herd of Cows street art installations of life-size cow sculptures are now available as a digital experience. Photo / Shaun Jeffers

Morrinsville’s iconic Herd of Cows street art installation has received its own digital experience.

The permanent outdoor exhibition launched in 2015, starting with just a few colourful fibreglass cows. It has since grown to a herd of 60 and developed a little bit of a cult following.

The new digital experience has been created by Hamilton & Waikato Tourism (HWT) in collaboration with Morrinsville i-site and Matamata-Piako District Council and would allow people to take a virtual tour to the cows from anywhere in the world.

It was the second digital experience in a series introduced by HWT to showcase different nature and heritage attractions around the region.

The first digital experience was an online tour along the Sir Edmund Hillary Walkway in Ōtorohanga which was launched last year. This had since been viewed over 1000 times.

Herd of Cows project coordinator and Morrinsville Chamber of Commerce chief executive Cathy Balvert said the town was “udderly thrilled” to see its colourful herd heading into the “Google-sphere”.

“This exhibition has become a source of pride as it speaks to our agricultural heritage and flourishing artistic scene in a fun and endearing way.

“The cows have helped put Morrinsville on the map. Many people explore the streets and do walking tours to see our girls, making a day of it and visiting local hospitality and retail businesses along the way,” Balvert said.

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism chief executive Nicole Greenwell said she, too, was excited to showcase Morrinsville and the “artistic flair of its community” to a global audience.

“From Mabel the Mega Cow ... to the colourfully named Picowsso [by Bay of Plenty artist Andrea Cooper] and Mootylicious [Phillipine-born artist Ivory Racho], people can now virtually experience the magic of Morrinsville’s bovine street art from anywhere in the world.

“Morrinsville’s Herd of Cows? are both memorable and visually striking and this exhibition is designed to inspire more people to visit Morrinsville and the Matamata-Piako area to experience the magic of the region in person,” Greenwell said.

To experience the new Herd of Cows? virtual tour, visit waikatonz.com/herd-of-cows.