The Hairy Maclary & Friends Waterfront Sculpture Project

On a recent trip to New Zealand, I was thrilled to visit the new Hairy Maclary & Friends Waterfront Sculpture Project in Tauranga.  The Sculpture Park is a tribute to local Tauranga resident of over 20 years and author to the world renowned Hairy Maclary series, Lynley Dodd.

The project is a "storybook scene" of permanent bronze sculptures of Hairy Maclary and some of his friends – Scarface Claw, Slinky Malinki, Hercules Morse, Muffin McLay, Bottomley Potts, Schnitzel von Krumm, Bitzer Maloney and Zachary Quack.

It was a joy to watch as children recognised the characters, called them each by name (as a beloved family pet), touched, hugged and climbed them with delight. Against a stunning waterfront setting and adjacent to the children’s playground, the larger-than-life public art truly brings the loved children's book characters to life and leaves a legacy for generations to come.

If you are a Lynley Dodd fan (like me), Tauranga Waterfront NZ is a must see!