Kea Car-ha?

Judy Diamond and Alan B. Bond’s spent hours at an Arthur’s Pass rubbish dump working out the evolutionary significance of the kea: “Keas are giant mountain parrots, and they love cars, especially soft-tops. If you leave yours unattended […] the keas will take it for a “joyride”. They will pull off the wing mirrors, snap the aerial, let down the tyres, slit the roof, razor the seats, turn the electrics into spaghetti and then call their friends. Ornithologists call this play …” How about the Kea as a national icon – better a smart, cheeky and ludic parrot eviscerating armchairs than a half-blind night Turkey with a long beak?! See Turi Park’s open letter for debate on NZ visual culture.