Southern Discoveries staff (from left) Anna Bartlett, Anita
Golden, Claire Blackadder, Kristin Ludke and Candice Nelms
show some of the underwater creatures they have created for
their debut at Festival Street Parade tomorrow. Photo by
Tracey Roxburgh.
Among the floats featuring in this year's Winter Festival
street parade will be a first-time participant with an
underwater-themed entry.
Southern Discoveries opened a retail store in Queenstown last
year and decided this year it would enter the Festival Street
Parade.
Its entry is a homage to the Milford Sound Underwater
Observatory.
Marketing co-ordinator Anita Golden said staff had been
working for about three weeks, getting in touch with their
inner child, using papier-mache to make a variety of sea
creatures, including penguins, a dolphin, fish, a seal, sea
anemones, paua shells and starfish.
They will feature on the float, along with a walking penguin
and a king crab. The crab was not an undersea creature that
would be seen at Milford, "but it was that or a mermaid".
Ms Golden said the underwater observatory structure had been
at Milford Sound for 14 years and had recently undergone a
refurbishment.
Now, visitors could see videos on avalanches, the making of
the Homer Tunnel, the Milford Track, and information about
the Maori and the European Settlers.
Downstairs, visitors could get a first-hand look at Milford
Sound underwater creatures through the observatory.
Ms Golden said "kids go free" during the school holidays, and
hoped children would be inspired to visit Milford Sound and
see the creatures in real life.
The festival street parade will begin at noon today,
travelling through the CBD.
To allow for the parade, several streets will be closed to
traffic.
Closed from 9am until 2pm will be: Camp St from Shotover St
to Earl St; Beach St from Camp St to Shotover St; Athol St;
Cow Lane; Rees St; Marine Parade; Church St; Earl St; and
Searle Lane.
Beach St from Rees St to Shotover St will remain closed until
3pm to allow for the completion of the Family Fun Day at
Earnslaw Park.
From 11am to 2pm Shotover St from Stanley St to Beach St will
also be closed, along with Camp St (extended closure from Man
St to Earl St); Duke St; Lower Brecon St; and Ballarat St
from Stanley St to Camp St.
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