Rotorua Trip Part 4 – The Giant Carrot of Ohakuna

Then came the Giant Carrot. Drum roll please, here it is:

Driving around the volcanoes, we headed into Ohakune, a small town that serves as an access point to the park and the Ruapehu ski fields. We stopped at a local café for coffee and noticed the café had a lot of carrot-related stuff–carrot trinkets, carrot cake, carrot smoothies. I had noticed a sign coming into town about a carrot carnival, so I asked if this was carrot country. The waiter said, yes it is. Go see the giant carrot. It is just down the street. We hurried back into the car. If there was a giant carrot, I had gaze upon it.

The story goes: in 1984, a giant carrot was built for a bank commercial. The locals decided their efforts as the beta carotene source for the country should be recognized, so they asked the bank if they could have the carrot. After it had served its purpose, the bank donated it to Ohakune. The town welcomed the largest vegetable in New Zealand with a parade and a park, making it a centerpiece of their town. It is now one of the biggest tourists draws in the area. There is even a Carrot Carnival in June to celebrate the town’s heritage. We might have to attend that one.