Hairy's gang nearly all here

Sculptor Brigitte Wuest, her husband and sculpture caster Marco Wuest, left, and foundryman Jonathan Campbell.

Hercules Morse, as big as a horse, has arrived in Tauranga.

The image of Hairy Maclary's biggest friend arrived by truck on Wednesday and the sculpture of the scruffy little star himself is due any day now.

Fundraising for the installation of bronze statues of Hairy Maclary and his eight friends on Tauranga's waterfront has just $180,000 of $700,000 left to find.

Creative Tauranga chief executive Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell said Hercules Morse arrived on Wednesday, with the remaining statues starting to arrive one by one as more funding flowed in.

Mrs Rudduck-Gudsell would not confirm Hairy's arrival to avoid any chance of him being stolen. The statues were being stored in a top-secret, high-security location.

More than $1000 had been raised for the project this week but Mrs Rudduck-Gudsell urged the community to get the project across the line by Easter. Individuals, families or businesses could become patrons of the sculpture project by making donations from $500 to $5000.

"All we need is 36 people to become Platinum Patrons (a donation of $5000) and we will be there - Hairy and the gang will be up ... by Easter," she said.