Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua man's Godzilla tree draws close to $300 in bids

Caroline Fleming
By Caroline Fleming
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
21 Nov, 2019 09:01 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Godzilla tree

A Rotorua creative has stunned Christmas lovers by selling his homemade Godzilla tree, attracting close to $300 in bids already.

Springfield resident Steven Newland has always had a knack for the arts and is well-known for pulling out all the stops for a top-notch Christmas tree.

The tree was crafted together last Christmas, with Newland listing the tree on Trade Me this week to bring joy to another family and fund his next big Christmas creation.

Steven Newland and his time-portal tree. Photo / Steven Newland
Steven Newland and his time-portal tree. Photo / Steven Newland

It all started about four years ago when Newland and his neighbours decided to have a competition as to who could create the most spectacular tree.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Newland and his partner went to town with the creation, crafting together a time-portal tree with clocks personally wired to run backwards and Doctor Who inspired gadgets.

Godzilla tree. Photo / Steven Newland
Godzilla tree. Photo / Steven Newland

His creative Christmas spark had ignited and every year since he has made it a tradition.

The creation of the Godzilla tree. Photo / Steven Newland
The creation of the Godzilla tree. Photo / Steven Newland

So much so, every December friends and family head to his home for a tree reveal party.

The year before the Godzilla tree, Newland had wired together an electronic PacMan tree that illuminated his living room.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The PacMan tree creation. Photo / Steven Newland
The PacMan tree creation. Photo / Steven Newland

The Godzilla tree was one of his best creations yet, he said. Bids for the steam-blowing foliage have got close to $300.

It took Newland two weeks to craft the tree with long nights dedicated to piecing together the beast.

Newland said he would use about $250 of it for this year's secret tree and the rest of the funds raised would go to CanTeen, a charity that supports child cancer sufferers.

This Christmas would be extra special for Newland and his partner as they welcomed a baby boy this year.

Discover more

Rotorua Museum insurance yet to settle

20 Nov 07:00 PM

Festive fun and whānau activities at parade

21 Nov 07:13 PM

Summer jobs benefit both sides of the equation

21 Nov 05:00 PM

Cupcakes or a workout? Businesses get creative with food appeal

21 Nov 08:00 PM
The work behind the PacMan tree. Photo / Steven Newland
The work behind the PacMan tree. Photo / Steven Newland

He said he hoped his little one would get right into the creative tradition as he grew older and it could become a bit of a father-son activity.

He would not give anything away about what might come this year, but all he would say is that his young son had given him a "purpose and a prop".

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Red and black: How Whaka plans to seize rugby glory

Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua science fair aims to inspire young women in stem

Premium
Rotorua Daily Post

'Stay on your side of the Bombays': Rotorua developer's swipe at Auckland firms


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Red and black: How Whaka plans to seize rugby glory
Rotorua Daily Post

Red and black: How Whaka plans to seize rugby glory

Whakarewarewa faces Tauranga Sports in the Baywide Premier Men’s final on Saturday.

17 Jul 12:12 AM
Rotorua science fair aims to inspire young women in stem
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua science fair aims to inspire young women in stem

16 Jul 09:30 PM
Premium
Premium
'Stay on your side of the Bombays': Rotorua developer's swipe at Auckland firms
Rotorua Daily Post

'Stay on your side of the Bombays': Rotorua developer's swipe at Auckland firms

16 Jul 09:03 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP