Huge marlin statue for Paihia
A big ‘thanks’ to the people of the Bay of Islands by a pioneering family - the Fullers - has been unveiled in the form of a fourmetre striped marlin statue.
Donors Snooks and Lola Fuller say they had been wanting to give something back to the community for their support while they were in business.
Snooks’ grandfather Alfred (Ernest) Fuller started a maritime cartage business in 1886, with his first 9.75m yacht ‘Undine’.
The business was sold in 1967, with the Fullers described as a tourism pioneer for the Bay of Islands.
It is this history, that Snooks and Lola wanted to pay tribute to as well as provide a gift for future generations to enjoy. With early tourism in the area also centred around anglers targeting striped marlin, the couple decided a lifesized replica would be fitting.
In 2015, Snooks and Lola approached Focus Paihia about their idea, and with the support of the organisation and the community, the project began. The couple’s daughter Sam along with husband Pieter, were key drivers of the project.
AXIA Design in Napier scanned a fish to create a digital model, with Skellerns Metal Castings in Auckland using the models to create a mould for the marlin, into which molten bronze was poured. Grant Harnish and Focus Paihia built a new section of the wharf for the 800kg statue.