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A giant sculpture of Gandalf riding an eagle departs Wellington airport for good

Two giant eagle sculptures, including one ridden by Gandalf, will be dismantled and removed from Wellington Airport this May 2025.
The sculptures have hung in the terminal since 2013 as part of a tie-in with Peter Jackson's Hobbit films, but waning Tolkien tourism and a past earthquake incident prompted their removal.
Each eagle is 15 meters wide, weighs about 1.1 tons, features 1,000 3D printed feathers, and was crafted by Wētā Workshop, renowned for its film props work.
The head of Wellington Airport, Matt Clarke, described the eagle sculptures as a popular attraction among travelers and mentioned they will be taken down and stored after Friday. He also revealed plans for a new locally inspired exhibit to be introduced later this year.
The departure signals a shift from the Lord of the Rings theme at the airport while retaining a dragon sculpture; officials hope the eagles find homes in museums and look forward to new storytelling chapters.

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KSL

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Giant sculpture of Gandalf riding an eagle departs New Zealand airport for good

For more than a decade, passengers at New Zealand's Wellington Airport have boarded flights below the figures of two giant, hovering eagles from the

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Novinky.cz

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Giant statue of Gandalf on eagle leaves New Zealand airport forever

For more than a decade, passengers at Wellington Airport, New Zealand, boarded their planes beneath statues of two giant eagles, one of which carried the wizard Gandalf on its back. With a wingspan of 15 meters and a weight of 1.2 tons, these reminders of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films have delighted tourists and terrified children since 2013. But this month, the majestic creatures will leave the terminal for good, the airport announced.

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The Age

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NZ Airport Is Taking Down Giant Hobbit Eagles

Wellington Airport is saying an emotional farewell to two giant eagles. The two sculptures, each with a 49-foot wingspan, were installed in 2013 as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies, which were made in New Zealand, the BBC reports. Gandalf is riding one of them. The 1.2-ton eagles were...

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