Two Dunedin residents got up close and personal with the George St redevelopment yesterday afternoon, dressing up as worms and wriggling their way around the centre city.
The worms, lying face down on skateboards with their legs tied together, slithered from the Meridian Mall towards the Octagon as about 30 intrigued passers-by lined up along the street to gaze upon the spectacle.
Organiser Finn McKinlay said a group of about five brainstormed the idea at a party.
They planned for the race to coincide with the influx of cruise ship passengers, and a fellow organiser ushered the worms through packed foot traffic.
"I hope they think this is a normal day in Dunedin and they tell all their friends that Dunedin is full of worms on skateboards," Mr McKinlay said.
It took the worms about 40 minutes to reach the Octagon, the black worm ultimately prevailing over its pink counterpart.
The pink worm, who is known as Cool John on TikTok, said he had performed similar worm-related antics in the past.
One involved him skating on his stomach in a sleeping bag around the University of Otago Campus yelling "where can I get some dirt" to the musical accompaniment of Mr McKinlay.
Cool John had attracted about 800 followers on TikTok with his antics and used this traction to drum up interest in the race.
He considered the display to be performance art, and hoped to show his followers that the real world was inherently absurd and wacky, he said.
"We’ve just got this new big widened George St pedestrian area, and that’s where all the people are to watch.
"I guess it is realistically about bringing the world alive and bringing the street alive."
The black worm, Dunedin resident Alice Houston-Page, said the race was "very physically exhausting," and the large number of spectators made it extra fun.
"I was in the lead for a little bit at the start and then had a big lull for probably over 20 minutes in the middle.
"I was so close to giving up, it was really harsh, and then somehow I just found this magic energy in the final five minutes... and managed to overtake."
It was quite dirty along George St, and her sleeping bag got caught on debris, Ms Houston-Page said.
Corners and scaffolding were particularly challenging to a worm, she said.
"There are a lot of hazards that you don’t think about when you’re walking up high and upright."
tim.scott@odt.co.nz , PIJF cadet reporter
