Giant kookaburra being towed around Australia is BANNED from the roads after cops order owner to trim its tail to meet transport laws

  • Dr Farvardin Daliri created a four-and-a-half-metre tall kookaburra in Brisbane
  • The artist plans to tow the bird up to the Townsville Cultural Festival next month
  • But transport officers ordered him to trim the tail by 30cm to make it roadworthy
  • Dr Daliri said he made the bird 'artistically' but would comply with the orders  
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Shive Prema and Zoe Zaczek For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A giant model kookaburra has been banned from the road after transport officers ordered the owner to trim its tail by 30cm. 

Dr Farvardin Daliri built the four-and-a-half-metre tall kookaburra, which performs the bird's famous call, over five months in Bellbowrie, south-west Brisbane, before finishing the project on May 24. 

The doctor had only driven the bird around the block once when he was ordered to make safety adjustments to the model on May 28. 

Last month, he shared a Facebook video of himself and the giant kookaburra with two Queensland Transport officers, detailing how they had spoken about 'road safety issues and compliance before hitting the road'.  

Dr Daliri will now have to quickly make the kookaburra roadworthy so he can tow it up to the Townsville Cultural Festival at the end of July. 

Dr Farvardin Daliri (left) speaks to two Queensland transport officers (centre) about the road safety of his giant kookaburra (right). The officers ordered him to trim 30cm off of the kookaburra's tail to make it compliant with transport regulations

Dr Farvardin Daliri (left) speaks to two Queensland transport officers (centre) about the road safety of his giant kookaburra (right). The officers ordered him to trim 30cm off of the kookaburra's tail to make it compliant with transport regulations

Dr Daliri initially made the bird 'artistically' and to scale of the real bird, but was happy to comply with the officers' requested alterations.

'We need to have it compliant with the Queensland transport regulations… I've got to chop the tail 30 centimetres shorter,' Dr Daliri told ABC News.

'Because of the long journey between here and Townsville, so many places we'll stop, it has to be 110 per cent compliant.' 

Dr Daliri has only test driven the kookaburra around his Bellbowrie block once in a video that was posted to Facebook on May 24. 

He has raised enough funds to make the required changes and still expects to make it to the Townsville festival.  

The Brisbane man turned heads last month when he revealed his kookaburra creation to the world with a Facebook video. 

The structure, which is eight-and-half metres long from the tail to the beak, is made with rounded steel bars which are locked together.   

'Then on the top of the holographic steel bars which are light enough to travel, I put natural materials like bamboo skins which are being treated and painted,' Dr Daliri told ABC Radio. 

'It forms a nice shape of the kookaburra with feathers and a moving jaw.'

The structure, which is eight-and-half metres from the tail to the beak, is made with rounded steel bars which are locked together

The structure, which is eight-and-half metres from the tail to the beak, is made with rounded steel bars which are locked together

Dr Daliri said he initially made the bird 'artistically' but was happy to comply with the officers' terms to get the kookaburra on the road

Dr Daliri said he initially made the bird 'artistically' but was happy to comply with the officers' terms to get the kookaburra on the road

The bird's jaw moves up to its beak as its iconic call, also known as the 'bushman's alarm clock', booms. 

Video footage shared to the artist's Facebook page showed the kookaburra bellow as it was wheeled along a suburban street. 

'The lower beak hangs with a motor that pulls a shaft up and down, with a sound effect that is also in-built, so the kookaburra can laugh for everyone to hear,' Dr Daliri said. 

Locals and neighbours intrigued by the bird and its distinct sound have been invited around for 'sticky beak', while following social distancing guidelines. 

Dr Daliri, who was raised in Iran and moved to Australia in 1984, said he wanted to create an artwork that was a tribute to his adopted home.

'The kookaburra is Aussie cultural icon,' Dr Daliri said. 

'When it laughs, it becomes part of our culture about having a sense of humour.'

The kookaburra, which took five months to build, was created for the Townsville Cultural Festival, which he founded.  

The bird's jaw moves up to its beak using a motor while its iconic laugh, also known as the 'bushman's alarm clock', booms through speakers

The bird's jaw moves up to its beak using a motor while its iconic laugh, also known as the 'bushman's alarm clock', booms through speakers 

'Australia has some cultural uniqueness which includes kookaburra and koala. Whether you talk about Dreamtime, or settlement,' he explained.

'It becomes a very useful creature that can make us all feel as one.

'No one can say why it's laughing, it just laughs for the sake of laughing. 

'The icon of the kookaburra represents the message of the festival.'

The kookaburra will be driven from Brisbane to Townsville at the end of July to encourage tourism and celebrate the festival amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The festival has altered their plans due to social distancing restrictions brought in by the health crisis.    

Dr Daliri said the festival would be themed 'laughter' due to the rough start to the year. 

'Around this kookaburra we are holding laughing sessions. If they don't know how to laugh kookaburra can teach them,' he said.

'We will have the last laugh with kookaburra once we're done with corona[virus].'

The festival, which promotes community spirit through dance, music, food and fun, is due to celebrate its 26th anniversary in 2020.

Once Dr Daliri makes adjustments to the model, the kookaburra will be driven from Brisbane to Townsville at the end of July to encourage tourism and celebrate the festival amid the coronavirus pandemic

Once Dr Daliri makes adjustments to the model, the kookaburra will be driven from Brisbane to Townsville at the end of July to encourage tourism and celebrate the festival amid the coronavirus pandemic

Covid-19Brisbane

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