Iconic sign finds a new home at the end of the rainbow

The Rainbow's End Theme Park rainbow has found a new home in Waihi after 30 years at the theme park. PHOTO / Bay of Plenty Times

The iconic rainbow that welcomed families through the entrance of Auckland's theme park Rainbows End for more that three decades has found a new home in Waihi.

The colourful sign has finally been homed in Waihi's Victoria Park, or Rocket Park as locals know it, 18 months after the move was signed off by Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga and Brian Gentil, the head of local tourism group GO Waihi.

Gentil said there was a fair amount of work involved in moving the rainbow, which was "bigger and heavier" than expected.

"One and a half metres wide, 3m high, 7m long and 1.3 tonnes, there was a bit of extra work involved", he said.

Visitors had so far shown a hugely positive response to the rainbow - stopping to take a look and snap a photo.

The Coromandel Peninsula community pulled together to help with the shift, with local contracting business Carter's digging a base for the foundations and craning it on to its plinths.

Local builders Duncan Cook and Sel Baker assembled the framework, while roofing company Mark Spiers waterproofed it.

Resene pitched in to give the rainbow a fresh lick of paint.

The sign is being officially welcomed on Saturday with a sausage sizzle put on by GO Waihi and a hunt for family passes to Rainbows End and other local attractions.