Moa Sighted At Ellerslie

26 February 2013

Moa Sighted At Ellerslie

The moa is making a comeback at the Ellerslie International Flower Show.

Three of the giant flightless birds will feature in the exhibition garden of award-winning Auckland landscapers Adam Shuter and Tony Murrell.

Made out of driftwood by a Taumarunui-based wood sculptor, the largest of the family of birds stands about 3 metres tall while the smallest is about 1.8 metres.

Mr Shuter says they chose to incorporate the moas into their 'Modern Day Moa' garden design because they wanted to feature something iconically Kiwi that no-one else had used before.

"We wanted to explore how the moa might fit into modern New Zealand," Mr Shuter says.

The resulting garden is a fusion of new and old, native and exotic.

Mr Shuter, who is a previous Ellerslie International Flower Show gold medal winner, says he is thrilled with how the garden has come together and cannot wait to unveil it to the public.

"I think they will be blown away - it's quite different,'' he says. "We can't wait to just stand back and listen to people's reactions."

Shuter and Murrell first met while filming an episode of TV show 'Mucking In' with Jim Mora. They realised there was a great opportunity to join forces and work together.

"We've successfully designed and built over 100 gardens in three years," says Tony Murrell.

The Modern Day Moa garden's principal sponsor is CityCare.

Caption: Adam Shuter and Tony Murrell have designed a modern garden for a family of giant flightless birds - the moa.

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• To book any of the Edible Ellerslie sessions go to www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz

• Tickets for Ellerslie International Flower Show at a pre-gate price of $35 for Adult Anyday passes, are available from the website www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz all open Christchurch City Council Service Centres, Mitre 10 Mega Stores in Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru, Terra Viva, EziBuy Christchurch and Nichols Garden Centres.

ENDS

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