[PHOTOS] Gandalf's 1,000kg Eagle Crash Lands In Airport
The eagle has landed...
By Judith Yeoh — 21 Jan 2014, 02:27 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
A Giant Eagle Sculpture Made An 'Emergency Landing' In New Zealand's Wellington Airport After An Earthquake On 20 January
While some media outlets are reporting that the girl was hit by the eagle sculpture, no injuries have been reported and there is no further mention of the teenager’s condition, so this might not actually be the case.
guardianlv.com
Workers secure a giant eagle sculpture after it fell from the roof of Wellington Airport during a 6.2-magnitude earthquake.
Image via turner.comAn eagle sculpture with a 45-foot wingspan was sent sprawling to the floor at Wellington Airport in New Zealand after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the country.
guardianlv.com
The 1,000kg Creature Is One Of Two Promotional Eagles For 'The Hobbit' Movie. Fortunately, The Second Eagle Remained In Its Airborne Position.
It will now be removed and a "thorough investigation" will be held, the airport said. Gandalf and his eagle will be further secured before the area underneath them is reopened.
Flights at the airport were unaffected by the quake, Thomas said.
cnn.comThe bird is one of two huge eagle sculptures, installed in the terminal building last month, that draw their inspiration from "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," the second part of a trilogy of movies filmed in New Zealand.
cnn.comHowever, a second eagle, being ridden by a sculpture of The Hobbit’s beneficent wizard Gandalf, was undamaged and remained affixed to the ceiling.
telegraph.co.ukThe Creatures Featured In 'The Hobbit' Have A Wingspan Of About 13.7 Meters. Here's A 50-Second Throwback:
The Wellington Airport Is Also Home To Other Creatures From J.R.R. Tolkien's Trilogies, Made Famous By Peter Jackson
From a giant, bug-eyed Gollum sculpture looming over passengers at Wellington Airport to promotional banners covering the facades of office blocks, the upcoming The Hobbit movie is impossible to ignore in New Zealand.
Image via rackcdn.comNew Zealand’s international visitor arrivals jumped from 1.5 million to 2.4 million between 2000 and 2006 on the back of The Lord of the Rings films but have remained flat at about 2.5 million for the past four years.
A recent Tourism Industry Association report expressed concerns that New Zealand had “lost its edge” and was no longer regarded as a must-see destination.
The 12 metre long installation shows Gollum reaching into an imagined pond to catch one of his precious 'fishes'.
Image via ausbt.com.au
"It Was Really Shaking And Rolling - It Went On For About 30 Seconds."
Residents described major shaking, goods tumbling off shelves and pictures knocked askew.
Image via bbcimg.co.ukResidents described major shaking, goods tumbling off shelves and pictures knocked askew. Many businesses were closed because of a public holiday.
"My baby daughter was in her cot asleep and I managed to leap across the hall and grab her and leap outside onto the lawn,'' she said.
Ms Monk said the quake was sudden and violent, compared to the usual rolling shakes.
"It was certainly the biggest we've had since we've been here.
nzherald.co.nz
No Casualties Were Reported In The Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake That Struck New Zealand's North Island At Around 11.30AM (Malaysian Time)
Other than the eagle sculpture, there are no reports of major damage or injuries in the area, although there was some minor damage to homes. Apparently the quake did trigger some rock slides and closed some roads in the area.
guardianlv.com
It was centred about 80 miles (129km) north of Wellington and struck at 3.52pm local time at a depth of about 17 miles (27km).
telegraph.co.ukA 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattles New Zealand's North Island, knocking goods off shelves, breaking windows and suspending Wellington trains.