Crowds in awe of Midwinter spectacle

Enthralled crowds were transported to a magical moonlit garden as the Dunedin Midwinter Carnival put on its biggest show ever.

A 10 minute animation was projected on to the facade of St Paul’s cathedral as the audience reacted with gasps and applause.

The projection saw the church frozen in ice, transformed into a giant lantern, and turned into a glowworm cave.

But the biggest audience reaction was when the building became a gingerbread house with candy cane pillars and gumdrop windows.

A gingerbread man teetered on a ledge to the crowd’s consternation before escaping back into a window to general applause.

Earlier people packed the Octagon and surrounding streets for the biggest ever procession of lanterns in the event’s history.

Dancers in shimmering silver moth costumes whirled around a full moon lantern at the head of the parade, followed by a cavalcade of enchanted garden critters.

A constellation of mouse lanterns were followed by a swooping snowy owl, mushrooms and flowers towered over snails and garden gnomes, and a team of firefly dancers trailed after a phosphorescent praying mantis.

Drummers, singers and brass bands kept the tempo up for the marchers, and a jazz brass band at the tail of the troupe transported the crowd to a New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Attendee Diane Stanley said she had been to most of the past events, and this year’s parade was "the best one yet".

 - Full coverage in Monday's paper