Dinosaurs find room, with a view | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Skyline Skyrides has turned into Jurassic Park but it will be many months before its new attractions go on show.

The Fairy Springs Rd tourist attraction is the new home of Leisure World Fun Park's 25 dinosaurs but general manager Neville Nicholson said they had a lot of work to do before visitors would be able to get among them.

The dinosaurs were moved over four days in the past week.

"It wasn't a small job," Mr Nicholson said.

"I only found out quite recently they were for sale. I think it will be good for the city and adds a new dimension to our attraction. I know they've been in town for a long while but if we were to site them correctly it will be something exciting."

Mr Nicholson declined to say how much was paid for the dinosaurs, which ranged in weight from 1.5 tonnes to 5.5 tonnes. Some needed to be taken apart before being moved and won't be reassembled until a more permanent location is found.

He said they were going to waterblast and repaint the dinosaurs to bring them back to their original condition and they would then be placed across the Skyline complex. "They're here and they're not leaving.

"We'd like to spend a bit of time, effort and money to put them back to how they looked years ago. We've got a lot of ideas," he said.

"We've had a lot of people come in and ask if they can buy one but it's not the kind of thing you can put on a trailer.

"We have a large number leaned up against the Ngati Whakaue fence line - the horses on the other side must be wondering what's going on."

The dinosaurs were one of the main attractions at the Leisure World Fun Park on Marguerita St, which closed down in November 2008.