Gisborne is already well endowed with statues, but this one commemorating the hugely popular Footrot Flats cartoons by Gisborne local, the late Murray Ball, is one of our faves. Wal, the series' archetypal Kiwi farmer, stands with his devoted canine companion, 'The Dog', looking on. For more on Footrot Flats, see www.footrotflats.com, or check out the 1986 movie Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale.
Footrot Flats Statue
Gisborne
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Tairāwhiti Museum
0.19 MILES
The Tairāwhiti Museum, with its fab gallery extension, focuses on East Coast Māori and colonial history. This is Gisborne’s arts hub, with rotating…
Nearby Gisborne attractions
1. Clock Tower
0.12 MILES
Built in 1934, this art-deco clock tower is the undisputed highlight of Gisborne's main street.
2. C Company Memorial House
0.19 MILES
This cultural centre commemorates the dedication and commitment of the famed 28th Māori Battalion of the New Zealand Army who fought bravely in the…
3. Tairāwhiti Museum
0.19 MILES
The Tairāwhiti Museum, with its fab gallery extension, focuses on East Coast Māori and colonial history. This is Gisborne’s arts hub, with rotating…
4. Te Tauihu Turanga Whakamana
0.25 MILES
Like a giant sundial, Te Tauihu Turanga Whakamana is a large modern sculpture in the shape of a tauihu (canoe prow) that celebrates early Māori explorers.
5. Captain Cook Statue
0.52 MILES
One of Gisborne's gaggle of Captain Cook commemorations, part of which is a globe etched with his roaming routes.
6. Statue of Young Nick
0.57 MILES
There's no let-up in Gisborne's Endeavour endeavours: in the riverside park is a dynamic statue of Nicholas Young, Captain Cook’s cabin boy, whose eagle…
7. Gisborne Botanic Gardens
0.6 MILES
The town gardens are sitting pretty beside the Taruheru River – a beautiful spot for a picnic and a romp around the big playground. Wiggle through the NZ…
8. Sculpture of Te Maro
0.63 MILES
On the flanks of Titirangi Reserve is an impressive new sculpture of Te Maro, the first of nine Māori men killed by Cook's crew when they landed in…