It looks like Fairfield's field of phalluses is only the tip of the iceberg.

After the Waikato Times revealed the cheeky Google Maps images yesterday - the result of a ballsy prank a couple of years ago - readers pointed us in the direction of some similarly oversized art works around the Waikato and beyond.

Waimarie St in Nawton, Hamilton, was also nailed by jokers who, rather than drawing a picture, simply wrote the word "wan*er" in a garden.

It is unclear whether the inscription was a cryptic message to the skies or an insult to the homeowner, but the writing is a little wonky and seems to lack the flair of the Fairfield offenders.

Another Waikato school getting caught with its pants down was Matamata College, which also had a giant phallic symbol in the middle of its running track when the images were taken in 2009.

The work shows great geometric accuracy .

And they are at it over the Bombays, too. Hobson Reserve in Auckland has been decorated with a penile portrayal.

Waikato University associate professor of psychology Monica Payne said the lewd depictions were not surprising.

"It's fun and one of those things that's instantly recognisable," she said.

But there could be a deeper explanation for young boys' obsession with what online commentators are calling "meaty graffiti".

"Phallic symbols are normally interpreted as symbols of power from a Freudian perspective," Ms Payne said. "But I'd probably look at it more as a joke."

The Times understands the Fairfield artists, who were former students of the school, have been fingered by friends on Facebook.

A friend described one as "quite a prankster" but said they were shrinking from the limelight at the moment.

"I dont think he's enjoying the attention, I've seen him deleting a few comments from people who have realised it was him, trying to protect his name. As far as I know, they weren't aware it was on Google Maps until I sent one of them the link," she said.

A Google spokesperson said they were not sure when new images would replace the 2009 pictures.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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