I’ve never been to New Zealand, but I’d probably give the weta a wide berth if I met one. This is one of the largest and oldest members of order Orthoptera (related to grasshoppers, crickets, and roaches). Peter Jackson’s special effects company behind Lord of the Rings, the WETA Workshop, derived their name from this huge insect.
http://www.kcc.org.nz/animals/weta.asp
http://johnbokma.com/weta/
http://weta.boarsnest.net/
http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Childrens/FactSheets/Animals/GiantWeta.asp
I especially liked this part from the first link:
“Sir Walter proceeded to kill some weta but it was not that easy…… weta have been around since before the dinosaurs so they must be pretty tough right? RIGHT! One of the wetas was held under water for four days and survived, another survived being dropped into near-boiling water (ouch) and one chewed its way out of Sir Walter’s handkerchief!”
That’s one tough insect!