Quackers: The giant duck floats into Sydney harbour (Picture: EPA)

Londoners went quackers when a giant rubber duck sailed down the Thames last month and now residents in Australia are doing the same.

The bright yellow water bird made a splash in Sydney earlier today, turning heads as it floated into Darling Harbour.

While the duck may look familiar to the giant inflatable which set sail from Canary Wharf before Christmas, it is in fact the brainchild of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman.

Giant duck lights up Sydney Festival (Picture: EPA)

Famed for bringing his oversized toys to cities around the world, the 35-year-old was commissioned to create the 50ft duck for this year’s Sydney Festival.


‘We are living on a planet, we are one family, and the global waters are our bathtub, so it joins people,’ he explained.



‘It relieves everyday tensions, as well as defining them. Its purpose is to do no more than amaze.’

Duck makes a splash in Sydney (Picture: EPA)

Sydney Festival director Lieven Bertels said the duck would help bring people together.

‘There were people on Pyrmont Bridge thinking they’d had probably too much to drink last night because this was a weird sight,’ he told ABC Sydney.

‘You have all these beautiful naval museum pieces in Darling Harbour at the Maritime Museum and then you have this giant rubber duck now.’

The duck will remain on display until January 23.

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