A Geraldine sculptor has left his mark on the area.
When a large tree was removed along the Geraldine sculpture track — due to rot — Daniel Holland was given the chance to create something from the stump with his trusty chainsaw.
Mr Holland had created many smaller and mid-sized sculptures with a chainsaw over the years, but this was the first sculpture which was bigger than he was.
The Greenman sculpture stood at around 2.3m tall and 2m wide.
He had purchased a new chainsaw especially for the job, which cost $3000 and weighed far more than his original one had.
He said it was the biggest electrical chainsaw he could find, which he had selected because it would not disturb people as much as a traditional one might.
It was so powerful that he had been a little scared to use it after working with his ‘‘teeny little chainsaw’’ for so long.
He said the chainsaw’s two batteries offered him only an hour and a-half of time to work, but that had proved to be a blessing.
‘‘It is a ridiculous work out.’’
After working on the sculpture he would ‘‘lay down and not move’’.
‘‘I neglected my poor family.’’
Mr Holland had also taken time out from his other — more important — job, building his own house in Peel Forest.
He said from how the wood was to work with, he guessed it had been a black poplar, but if so it was the biggest he had ever seen.
He had offered his services for free, as his own children could enjoy the work.
However, as they had grown up with him carving things, they had not seemed too fazed by Greenman’s large head .
But that was not the only reason he had offered to create it, he said it was important to have a larger sculpture on his resume.
And it was fun.
‘‘It’s playtime for me.’’
‘‘With any luck we’ll have a good wind and I’ll have more trees to work on.’’
In the meantime, he was creating a giant haast eagle at the Orari Golf Course, which was the same width as Greenman but twice as high.
While Greenman had not yet been officially named there were plans afoot to create something special.
Geraldine Sculpture Trail organiser Rosie Woods said she had engaged with Woodbury School and Geraldine Primary School pupils along with social media sites asking the public for ‘‘inspirational naming ideas’’.
‘‘We’ll close it on Sunday, March 29, and choose three names and ask the public to vote.’’
