Dinos roaring at Hamilton Lake Domain

A pack of dinosaurs will stretch out their tails and shine their teeth in preparation for DinoFest at Hamilton Lake on Easter weekend.

A meat-eating Tyrannosaurus Rex and a plant-eating Titanosaurus have been among the pre-historic giants touring the country.

But have no fear: the commute hasn’t made them snappy.

DinoFest founder Laurence Taylor said the dinosaurs are Kiwi - and well-behaved.

He and his surviving squadron will disembark in Hamilton for the very first time, and visitors can get up close and personal with the prehistoric animals.

There will be live dinosaur encounters, ‘‘Dino Dig’’ and ‘‘Feel a Fossil’’ palaeontological activities, as well as sieving for fossil shark teeth, art activities and a Jurassic bush trail.

There will also be baby dinosaurs roaming around, including the Compsognathus, a small chicken-sized dino, Taylor said.

Fossils of the Compsognathus, and other species such as Ankylosaur, Titanosaur, feathered theropods and Pterosaurs have all been found in New Zealand.

Originally from the UK, Taylor caught the ‘‘fossil bug’’ when he was very young, he said.

It peaked when he went on a family holiday to Lyme Regis, a beach town famous for its geology and fossils.

‘‘It was amazing to me that you could pick up something from millions of years ago,’’ he said.

And while adventuring around the South Island with his wife and kids, Taylor said the scene felt like something out of Jurassic Park.

He teamed with Auckland Botanic Gardens to bring his DinoFest to life in January this year.

‘‘We had 30,000 people come to the one in Auckland. I was shocked. I thought it might just be me and a few other people,’’ Taylor said.

The event has since toured to Wellington and New Plymouth, and will be held at the Lake Domain in Hamilton.

‘‘The pine trees and ferns in the Lake Domain are the perfect setting, with the ancient bush making an excellent prehistoric dinosaur trail,’’ Taylor said

DinoFest will open for three hour sessions on each of the four days - Friday, March 30 until Monday, April 2 - starting at 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm.

Tickets cost $10 per person (children under 2 are free) and can be purchased on eventfinda.co.nz with concessions for families and groups.