Last Thursday, Ralph Hetzel, the Seagull Man came to show us one of his Southern Black Backed Gulls, that he had made. The seagull was made from clay. The "Seagull Man originally came from America. He sailed around the Pacific Ocean in a yacht to New Zealand. Before he came to New Zealand he stayed at some of the islands of Rarotonga, Tonga and Fiji. This is where he saw lots of Southern Black Backed seagulls. When he decided to make his home in Nelson he used the seagulls for his inspiration and started making ceramic seagulls to go on his roof. Visitors to his house asked him to make seagulls for them. Now he sends seagulls all over the world. Look out for them all over Nelson. The real ones and the ceramic ones! I think the ceramic ones are fabulous. They are quite cartoony because their eyes are in the wrong place.
Written by Alex Thompson of St Vincent Room at Auckland Point School.
