Sparks are flying as a Kiwi team prepares to head to the Burning Man gathering in Nevada - but they won't be going alone.
They've been busy constructing a sculpture to take with them - a giant weta. This will be the first time a NZ team has sent a project, and the weta was chosen as it's something very unique to New Zealand.
But this will be no ordinary giant weta. From the start of its ovipositor to the end of its head it will be 6.5m long - and 8m long with its antennae attached.
It's estimated the final form will weigh 2-3 tonnes - and will use a flame pumper to shoot burning jets of LPG.
Project manager Hippathy Valentine explains why wetas are important.
"Wetas play a crucial role in the NZ ecosystem," he says. "They are a key fertiliser of our forests."
He wants to use the giant weta to raise awareness about "what we've done to our environment and how we need to re-establish a better balance in nature."
The project team is aiming to raise $5000 to $10,000, and Mr Valentine is hopeful the public will help out.
"I think is a great project where we're helping a lot of people. It's going to be coming back to New Zealand and we're going to show it around."
A shipping container is arriving, and the team is keen to get the weta's journey underway and share it with the public.
"The whole idea, really, is to build a community," he says. "We really look forward to the 70,000 people of Black Rock City having a play with it."
After Burning Man the giant weta will return to New Zealand, where it will attend Kiwiburn before finding its final resting place.
You can donate to the Giant Weta team on their Givealittle page.
Please watch the video on the team.
Newshub.
