For the first time ever, the Kiwi Art Trail will be held on Te-Waipounamu the South Island. The Art Trail started last week at the New Zealand Golf Open where visitors could explore the trail of kiwi sculptures in Millbrook Resort.
Where Hope Grows, Kiwi Lives On by Mickey Espino
Thanks to a partnership with the Central Otago District Council, the Art Trail will head to the Bannockburn cycle trail in March and to the Alexandra and Clyde Cycle Loop in April.
“We have been working with Gallagher Insurance on this trail ever since it started in 2023 and we’re thrilled to bring it to a South Island audience for the first time,” said Ross Halpin from Save the Kiwi.
“This is especially meaningful as it aligns with a big year when it comes to kiwi on the South Island. The kiwi pukupuku little spotted kiwi in Brooke Waimārama Sanctuary in Nelson have been successfully breeding.” The kiwi were translocated by Save the Kiwi from Kapiti island in May 2025. “Plus, there are the kiwi pukupuku that were rediscovered on the West Coast last year.”
Ross Halpin with He Taonga by Joanne Craig
“As proud sponsors of the Kiwi Art Trail, Gallagher is committed to helping New Zealanders protect the things that are important to them so being part of the protection of our national icon is a special privilege,” said Gallagher Insurance CEO Carl O’Shea.
This year, the trail features returning artists such as Otis Frizzell, Paris Kirby, Mickey Espino, Jing Liu, and Ema Frost, but it has welcomed new artists: Haser and Julia Morison.
As with previous years, the Kiwi Art Trail has invited guest artists from the host locations. Sandi Young from the New Zealand Open community created ‘He reo mō te Kiwi’ where proceeds will go to the New Zealand Open Charitable Trust. Joanne Craig, a Dunedin-based artist who was selected through an open call in December, created ‘He Taonga.’
The Kiwi Art Trail is a collection of kiwi sculptures that have been turned into bespoke artworks talented New Zealand artists. The trail aims to bring New Zealand’s national icon, the kiwi, to the forefront of people’s imaginations, and to raise much-needed funds for kiwi conservation by auctioning the sculptures.
Since the inaugural exhibition in Auckland in 2023, the Trail has generated more than $200,000 for kiwi conservation around the country. Sculptures were bought by art collectors from around the country and even from London, San Francisco, Italy, and Liechtenstein.
Read more about the trail here: https://kiwiarttrail.nz/
