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Wind Wand waves temporary farewell

Local News Our Work
PUBLISHED: 22 MAR 2021
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New Plymouth’s iconic Wind Wand is taking a break from the foreshore for a bit of TLC.

The artwork is due for maintenance and refurbishment, so a large crane and a helicopter were brought in today to take it away for the work.

NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Stuart Robertson said calm conditions were needed for the removal.

“Any wind makes it harder for the helicopter to fly safely with the 45m wand attached beneath it so we’re happy we had settled conditions today,” he says.

The Wind Wand will have its structural integrity checked and its mounts refurbished, and will be repainted and fitted with new spheres, LED lights and electrical
cable. Meanwhile, the large thimble-like stainless steel base has been fenced off for cleaning.

The Wind Wand, by New Zealand artist Len Lye, was installed in December 1999 as a millennium project with two-thirds of the funding coming from the Lottery
Grants Board.

This is the fourth time the Wind Wand has been removed for maintenance since its installation. The work is expected to cost approximately $160,000 and take up
to eight weeks, depending on weather and any issues uncovered during the work.

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Page last updated: 10:48am Wed 04 August 2021

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