New Zealand team takes 2nd place at Sapporo Snow Festival's International Snow Sculpture Contest

The New Zealand team at the 61st Sapporo Snow Festival International Snow Sculpture Contest came 2nd out of 14 teams.

The amateur team beat many other professional sculpting teams from across the globe. The sculpture of a taniwha was designed by team leader Darryn McCalman based in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido. The other two members of the team are on the JET programme; Simon Daly based in Kyouinjutaku, Hokkaido and Matarahi Skipper of Higashi-Hiroshima.