Giant in the North

13 June - 22 November 2015

Free entry

Waikato’s famous Kawhia giant penguin rises once again to full stature. The Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club (JUNATs) discovered the giant penguin fossil in 2006 and it has yet to be formally described and named. What mysteries could this fossil unravel? Discover the giant penguin fossil in 3D, listen to expert commentary and be excited about this snapshot into Aotearoa’s ancient past.

Image: Fossilised giant penguin

Related events

The Giant Penguin - Specialist Talk, 13 June, 2pm - 2.45pm, free event, find out more.

More about the giant peguin

In 2006 a group of enthusiastic junior naturalists were scouring the pristine beaches of Kawhia with the hope of finding prehistoric relics. A couple of children stumbled on “an old rusty propeller”. One look at this rusty iron bar and the accompanying adults knew they had found a treasure. Hamilton Junior Naturalist (JUNATS) mentors Tony Lorimer and Chris Templer, identified it at once as an avian fossil.

 “We were looking for fossil sea urchins and what we found was a penguin – what a bonus!” said Mr Templer.