Lego celebrated at Dunedin Brick Show

Lego fever hits Dunedin
Lego fever hits Dunedin

It's a celebration of the world's most popular plastic toy bricks, with over 50 exhibitors showing off their collections this weekend in Dunedin.

Lego is a toy that attracts fans of all ages.

Mechanic Jimmy Paton says it's a time consuming hobby, but one that's captured his entire family's imagination.

"The fascination is that it can be anything," says Paton.

"One brick can be so many different things, and it can be put together so many different ways."

He's president of the LUG South Lego users group, and admits his hobby is sometimes considered too expensive by his wife.

But he insists it's a worthwhile and calming pasttime.

"Originally I was dairy farming and I used to do Lego as stress relief," he says.

Lego produces thousands of specially-themed kits, but some Lego fans prefer to come up with their own unique constructions.

One star of the weekend show is an authentic recreation of central Christchurch, which includes the city's tram travelling along New Regent Street, along with the container-style Re:Start mall.

Otago University student Pieter Dennison is another Lego fan who prefers custom Lego sets.

He spent six months working on an impressive replica of Dunedin's iconic railway station, a project he says was his most challenging.

"Detail is a big thing for me," says Dennison. "But there have been a few times where I've just wanted to walk away from it."

Over 600 billion Lego parts have been produced since the toys were launched 67 years ago.

Riley Peterson, 12, has been going since he was three years old, and still gets excited every time he gets a new set.

"Probably the mini figures, and the surprise of what pieces are in the set and how hard it's going to be," he says.

The Dunedin Brick Show is on throughout the weekend at the Edgar Centre.

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