Ohakune's iconic giant carrot will soon be turning black in an attempt to attract visitors to the town.
Ohakune's carrot, which was originally designed as a prop for a bank advertisement, was officially unveiled in 1984 and has been orange ever since.
Visit Ruapehu spokesman Mike Smith said the region supported giving the carrot a paint job.
"One of the challenges for Ruapehu is to get people off State Highway 1 and we think the giant black carrot will be a great catalyst for them to come and have a visit," Mr Smith said.
The carrot would only be black for a short time and would be returned to its usual orange later this year.
