It is possible the odd penguin or two has hobbled through the Octagon in the past. But never a polar bear - until Saturday afternoon.
The 1m tall bear was one of five sculptures created out of solid blocks of ice by Auckland-based ice sculptor Victor Cagayat (50) as part of the Octagon Rail Jam.
Mr Cagayat also created a swan, a fish, a skier and a snowboarder from ice, using nothing but a chainsaw, a series of chisels and a good pair of warm, waterproof gloves.
Surprisingly, Saturday's warmish sunny weather did not hinder his work. Rather, it was the wind. It makes the ice crack.
Mr Cagayat said he learned how to sculpt ice in his homeland in the Philippines, where he worked for high-end hotels creating decorative ice sculptures for conferences, weddings and other celebrations.
Since moving to Auckland 20 years ago, Mr Cagayat has divided his time between jobs in ice bars in Queenstown, Auckland, Surfers Paradise and Sydney, as well as undertaking private commissions.
His work drew large crowds in the Octagon on Saturday, and although many adults appreciated the amount of artistic excellence needed to create his art, it was mostly lost on small children who could not stop themselves from seeing if the icy figurines tasted like ice cream.
