Clayton Barnett was inspired by a Whanganui landmark on the Great NZ Bake Off cake competition.
Clayton Barnett was inspired by a Whanganui landmark on the Great NZ Bake Off cake competition.
It is competition season on New Zealand TV screens as contestants pit their abilities with food and fabric against fierce competitors.
Two of Whanganui's migratory sons are representing their hometown on shows screening on consecutive nights on TV2.
Kerry Ranginui won last week's challenge on Monday night's Project Runway NZ and Clayton Barnett did Whanganui proud on the inaugural screening of The Great Kiwi Bake Off on Tuesday.
He may not have been named as star baker after his dulce de leche filling failed in the muffin challenge but he impressed judges by recreating a Whanganui landmark - the Kowhai Park dinosaur slide in the cake challenge.
"My daughter Isabelle turns 2 on November 30 and I had thought about making the dinosaur slide for her birthday cake."
It is so special to me because my mum played on it before me and now I love to bring my daughter to play on it.
Barnett remembers when the orange slide was painted purple and green when he was a child.
"It is so special to me because my mum played on it before me and now I love to bring my daughter to play on it."
Clayton Barnett recreated the Kowhai Park Dinosaur slide on the Great NZ Bake Off.
Barnett, 39, grew up in Whanganui East, attending Whanganui East Primary School until his family moved to Palmerston North. Despite the move, Barnett still calls Whanganui home.
As a producer for Sky Sport, Barnett had a fair idea what he was in for when he auditioned for the show and says the Bake Off producers do a great job.
"We contestants are encouraged to be the biggest versions of ourselves rather than play a part.
"What people see on the show is the 'me-ist' version of me."
Hosts Madeleine Sami and Hayley Sproull are both adept at witty banter and judges Sue Fleischl and Dean Brettschnider are generous with their praise but don't pull any punches either.
Unlike some other competition shows, Bake Off contestants are not competing for big prize money so things are a lot friendlier, says Barnett.
Blue-haired Invercargill contestant Stacey Johnsen helped Barnett with the finishing touches to his cake.
"My mum Lesley also helped by suggesting that I use liquorice for the dinosaur's mouth and tongue.
"Obviously, she taught me everything I know about baking."
The show's first star baker was 19-year-old Annabel Coulter from Timaru while Tauranga contestant Jennie Verstappen was eliminated after presenting an igloo cake with too many lollies and not enough baking.
