The story of Boom Boom.

In 2017, the Taupō Sculpture Trust set out to install a major new public artwork after successfully placing nine sculptures around town. With support from a council arts fund on a 50/50 basis, the council committed $100,000 to the project, and we set about finding the sculptor, the site, and raising the remaining funds.

In 2019, we invited ten of New Zealand’s top sculptors to submit proposals for a $200,000 piece to be located at the bottom of Taharepa Road. After a thorough selection process, Gregor Kregar’s dinosaur on a rock was the unanimous choice. It was bold, robust, engaging, and backed by Gregor’s strong international reputation in public sculpture.

Over the next eight years, we worked to secure funding and relocate the project after the original Taharepa Road site proved unsuitable. This led to a bigger idea — the Riverside Sculpture Trail in Riverside Park, with council approval for future works along the trail.

A fundraising event at Huka Lodge raised $75,000, alongside other initiatives to complete the $100,000 required. With funding secured and a new site confirmed, Boom Boom was unveiled in May 2025.

Public art often sparks debate, but it also creates conversation and attracts visitors. In the end, Boom Boom helped put Taupō on the map — nationally and internationally — with support from Mayor David Trewavas on The Breakfast Show.