Palmer's 20m dinosaur hard to hide before big launch day
HOW do you keep a 20m long dinosaur under wraps?
Well, you can't.
That is why Clive Palmer's mechanical tyrannosaurus rex can be seen by anyone entering the Palmer Coolum Resort, even though the dinosaur is not due to be officially "unveiled" until early next week.
Photos sent to the Daily by a Coolum resident show the model dinosaur is already proving an attraction.
Locals and tourists are lining up for photos with the addition to the landscape.
Photographed from some angles the dinosaur is an awesome sight, measuring up frighteningly well against Mount Coolum in the background.
The dinosaur is the first of what the resort's general manager Bill Schoch has said will be many.
Mr Palmer plans to outdo another park, which has 150 of the replicas to create the largest dinosaur park in the world.
The 8.5m high, 1.7 tonne dinosaur was imported in pieces from China.
It took four months to build.
The replica has been assembled on site at Coolum.
It will be mounted on special footings to minimise the chance of ... errrm ... movement.
When fully operational, its mouth and tail will move, its eyes will open and shut, and its chest will rise and fall, just like a real dinosaur.
Well, almost.
