Giant Dragon calls Manukau City home

Weta Workshop Sculpture Demonstration in Westfield Manukau City

Visitors to Westfield Manukau City may be shocked to find a fiery beast residing in the mall from Monday 28 June.

Part of Westfield’s school holiday programme, Weta Workshop sculptor Kim Graham will be inspiring and educating up-and coming artists as she works in ‘The Dragon’s Lair’ on a ‘life-sized’ dragon sculpture. Kim will also be inviting young shoppers to lend a hand in bringing the creature to life.

Kim will be demonstrating sculpting from 10am daily and encouraging children to help her as she works. While talking through the sculpting process, she will explain techniques & tools and reveal how movie magic happens. The dragon is currently a 5 foot 9 inch Plaster of Paris covered sculpture with one TON of clay to be added over the next two weeks.

“I simply adore working with fantasy and mythological images” says Kim. “The Dragon’s Lair is the perfect opportunity for children to experience the art of sculpting and to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into filmmaking.”

Of course every dragon needs a suitable dwelling and the shopping centre has the ideal landscape for any modern dragon – a mythical castle backdrop.

The Dragon’s Lair also features three interactive run by Lifeway College students giving children the chance to experience 3D animation, the art of caricature and matte painting. The lounges are open from 11am to 3pm: 5 July to 9 July 2010.

Lounge Area 1: Lifeway College Student Showcase
See how animation works
Find out more about 3D animations from the students of Lifeway College. Grab a colouring competition, colour in the dragon and go into the draw to win a $50 Westfield Gift Voucher plus the winner takes home their Matte Painting blown up and printed on canvas. Winners announced 2pm Friday 9 July 2010.

Lounge Area 2: Matte Painting
See how the magic of 3D animation works first hand! Children can have their photo taken and incorporated into an animated dragon-themed background. For a gold coin donation, children take their picture away.

Lounge Area 3: Caricature (2D drawing)
See yourself as a caricature? Children can visit the artist to see themselves in caricature and take it home to show friends and family.

Kim Graham has been a professional artist for more than 20 years in the US. Based primarily out of Seattle, she has recently made the move to Wellington to work for New Zealand's Weta Workshop. Kim has worked and taught in huge variety of fields including welding, sculpting, mold making, casting, bronze, ceramic, human anatomy and prop making.

Weta Workshop is the multi-award winning company known for its movie set design and creation of special effects for movies such as Lord of the Rings.

Plans to re-home the dragon after 10 July are yet to be confirmed however, Westfield Marketing Manager, Monya van Wyk is determining plans to donate the dragon to a worthwhile cause.

Westfield Manukau City, Centre Court, 28 June – 10 July 2010

For more details, head to http://www.westfield.co.nz/manukau

Subzero Heroes

The King and Gentoo penguins are zooming, bouncing and flying around Kelly Tarlton’s putting their awesome skills on show these school holidays. Slide into Kelly Tarlton’s between July 3rd and 18th to check out the SUBZERO HEROES and see if you’ve got what it takes to join them!

Did you know penguins are the fastest birds underwater (reaching speeds of up to 36km an hour) and can slide along the ice at more than 20km an hour? Or that they can hold their breath for five minutes or longer while diving more than 200 meters? SUBZERO HEROES puts the spotlight on these and all the other awesome abilities the penguins at Kelly Tarlton’s (and those living in the wild) have mastered.

Visitors will be able to see the penguins out on the ice showing off their talents during daily enrichment activities (these activities are designed to ensure the physical, mental and emotional well being of the birds). They can also try their own hand at the different skills by embarking on the Penguin Trail where they can search out the SUBZERO HEROES (cartoon characters positioned around Kelly Tarlton’s) and complete a challenge that replicates each hero’s special talent. Kids four and over will receive a Penguin Trail guide when they enter Kelly Tarlton’s and those who complete all 10 challenges will become SUBZERO HEROES and receive a free pack of collector cards.

During the Snowcat Ride or while watching the penguins on the big screen in the Antarctic Room, kids can spot the real SUBZERO HEROES out on the ice in their everyday penguin disguises. Like all good super heroes they’re pretty good at keeping their secret identities quiet but we’ve given each hero a colour-coded band so kids can tell who’s who. Also, we’ve set up a new camera system in the Antarctic Room that lets kids zoom in on the penguins out on the ice to check their disguises up close.

Away from the ice there are loads of creative ways to keep kids entertained. They can learn how to draw penguins or make them using origami. There’s a colouring competition with cool penguin packs up for grabs. You can also chill out and watch the Happy Feet movie that will be playing all day.

Of course every SUBZERO HERO needs a super name – and Kelly Tarlton’s have a batch of new recruits (baby and adolescent King and Gentoo penguins born over the past year) who need a cool one. If your name is chosen for one of the birds then you’ll win a super-special behind the scenes tour of Kelly Tarlton’s penguin enclosure – including going out on the ice where you’ll get your picture taken with some of the SUBZERO HEROES!

NAME: Kelly Tarlton’s SUBZERO HEROES

DATE: Saturday July 3rd – Sunday July 18th

TIMES: Open 7 days, 9.30am – 5.30pm (last admission 4.30pm)
 Penguin enrichment activity on the ice at 1.30pm every day

TIMES CONT:
 Life on the Ice presentation during daily enrichment activity at 1.30pm
 Penguin feeding at 11.30am and 2.30pm every day
 Happy Feet playing all day in the activity room
 Regular Kelly Tarlton’s activities such as stingray and shark feedings and encounters continue as normal. Visit www.kellytarltons.co.nz for more information and times for all other scheduled activities.

HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE:
• Take the challenge and test your skills against the SUBZERO HEROES. Find and complete all 10 SUBZERO HERO tasks on your activity sheet to receive a pack of collector cards.

• Ride the Snowcat and identify all 10 SUBZERO HEROES in real life out on the ice (using the colour chart on your activity sheet and the penguins’ matching bands).

• Win an awesome behind the scenes look at the penguin enclosure – including a trip out onto the ice to have your photo taken with the SUBZERO HEROES – by coming up with a great super hero name for our new recruits.

• Become a penguin expert and learn what makes each of the 17 different species of penguins special.

• Follow us to Antarctica by checking out the photo-montage board documenting Kelly Tarlton’s team members’ trips to the frozen continent.

• Learn to draw SUBZERO HEROES with our easy step-by-step guide to drawing penguins.

• Create a penguin out of origami (and while you’re busy playing with paper have a go at making a paper jet plane too).

• Take part in the SUBZERO HEROES colouring competition and go in the draw to win cool penguin prize packs.

PRICE: Normal admission prices apply: Adults NZ$31.50, Children 4-14 years NZ$15.80, Children 3 and under FREE. Family passes from NZ$53.60 for one adult and two children. Auckland residents – bring along proof of residency to receive a special locals rate.

LOCATION: Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World, 23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland.

PARKING: There is plenty of free car parking in the Kelly Tarlton’s car park.

A snowball of fun for kids

NZSki is launching a super-cool new kids club created so kids can enjoy winter anywhere, anytime - at home, online or on the snow.

By joining the NZSki Kids Club or surfing the magical http://www.nzskiland.com, the awesome snow experience can begin way before children get to the mountains and continue long after they’ve left the slopes.

The NZSki Kids Club is designed to create something special that youngsters can be a part of. Interactive nzskiland.com, an exclusive membership card and bi-monthly newsletters aim to keep kids entertained and up to date with what’s new and exciting at New Zealand’s premier ski areas.

The club provides a flurry of fun stories, photos and games that children can access on-line or through newsletters, along with heaps of competitions and prizes to be won.

NZSki CEO James Coddington said the club provided a great way of keeping in touch with Spike, Shred and all their friends at Coronet Peak, Mt Hutt and The Remarkables whenever and wherever, and is completely free to join.

“At www.nzskiland.com it’s year round winter fun with fantastic interactive games, jokes and activities that offer kids from around age 4 to 12 a safe and fun online place to play. It’s pure entertainment for a young technology savvy generation.

“Kids can make it snow at the click of a button or play games, take a snow quiz, learn some snow facts or see if they’ve made it to the picture gallery.

“The Kids Club offers fun, bite-size tasters of NZSki and snowsports to mini-snow lovers, who may ski regularly or come skiing or riding once or twice a year with their families.”

To become a member of the NZSki Kids Club children just need to fill out an application form from an NZSki Guest Service or Snowsports School counter. To try out the new website visit http://www.nzskiland.com.