Jurassic park plan for NZ

Wairarapa is being eyed for a $30 million dinosaur theme park that could include creatures created by the special effects experts who made Lord of the Rings.

The Wellington-based travelling museum Dinosaurs Rock says it is holding talks with Weta Workshops - which won Oscars for its Lord of the Rings special effects - and with a confidential "major supporter".

Dinosaurs Rock said the park could be located near Martinborough, and construction could start in the next two years.

A 20ha park could cost up to $30 million.

It would include an education centre, convention rooms, playground and live exotic reptiles, including possibly a komodo dragon, the world's largest living lizard.

Weta Workshops could construct life-size replica dinosaurs, possibly including an animated brachiosaurus, a long-necked vegetarian species that fossil evidence suggests were 25m long and weighed 37 tonnes.

Dinosaurs Rock was founded two years ago by husband and wife Jackie and Darren Bush, who describe themselves as "Jurassic Jackie" and "Dinosaur Darren".

Jackie Bush said Weta Workshops had told her the dinosaurs would be "second to none" for quality.

"This will be a world-class park. Other dinosaur-themed parks in Florida and Dubai might be bigger, but only we would have Weta Workshops' creations. People will come from all over the world to see them."

Weta head Richard Taylor was very supportive, she said, and Wairarapa was geologically suited for the park.

"Wairarapa has limestone formations, coastlines, caves, fossils - it has a geological beauty."

She would not reveal the mystery backer, but said he had an interest in Wairarapa and had always shown a lot of interest in what Dinosaurs Rock had been doing.

Mr Taylor confirmed the Bushes had discussed the concept with him. "Weta would certainly bid for the construction if there was a level of investment to make it a worthy enterprise."

- NZPA