Bring a piece of New Zealand nature into your home!

This wall-hanging rātā branch is designed to bring some of New Zealand’s best flora and fauna into your home, without taking up any shelf space. Making use of the wall hanger element developed for the art range, this branch has two hangers and three points of contact to ensure the branch hangs stably on your wall. It also features a robust internal technic frame, to ensure you don’t have to yell “Timber!”. Upon this branch you'll find a range of little fluffy orbs with cheeky personalities, or in the common parlance, "birbs". (Disclaimer: fluffiness may not translate to plastic bricks)

Living on the branch, you’ll discover a remarkable collection of New Zealand’s native creatures. You’ll find two titipounamu/riflemen flitting about on the branch, while a watchful piwakawaka/fantail keeps an eye on their shenanigans. Meanwhile, a kakaruai/South Island robin hides beneath the upper boughs. Atop the branch, you’ll find a cheeky tomtit planning its next bit of mischief, and sitting at attention in the middle is a tuī, admiring the red and yellow flowers before it. Finally, hiding in a slightly hollowed out section of the branch, a wētā sleeps peacefully.

Whether you’ve been to beautiful New Zealand before, or are still waiting to make your journey to this part of the world, this branch will add a pop of colour and life to your wall, bringing some of the outside in.

The branch you will build represents one of 10 rātā species native to New Zealand, of which three are trees, one a shrub, and the remaining 6 climbing vines, which do not form trees. All of these species feature the iconic and striking red and yellow flowers, loved by birds and humans alike. (Except if you find yourself having to sweep up all the stamens after a bout of strong wind). These plants, alongside pōhutukawa, always herald the start of southern hemisphere summer, and their bright red and green colours are often the first heralds of Christmas down here at the bottom of the world.

This build consists of 3219 parts, and builds a large rātā branch, featuring three of its iconic flowers, on which you will set 6 birds and a wētā - one of New Zealand's most interesting insects. Don't be spooked if you find one in your long drop - they may look a little freaky, but they're actually quite friendly. The branch weighs around 2.5 kg, so a couple of regular wall hooks should be sufficient to keep the branch on your wall. Once built, it will measure 80 cm wide, 45 cm tall, and 33 cm deep, so it should take up less wall space than your average boringly two-dimensional painting, but may stick out a little more.