New Zealand's Quirkiest Landmarks and Attractions
New Zealand might be better known for its cinematic backdrops – but look a little closer, and you’ll find some delightfully wacky gems colouring its landscapes. From iconic landmarks that celebrate all things Kiwi, to the weird and wonderful attractions that will leave people scratching their heads, here is a quick guide to the country’s quirkiest must-sees.
The Hundertwasser Public Toilets, Kawakawa
The Hundertwasser Public Toilets, Kawakawa
Expatriate Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser fell in love with the North Island town of Kawakawa in the 1970s. An ornate toilet block, made out of community-donated, recycled materials, was his only artistic project in the Southern Hemisphere — and the last one completed in his lifetime. The Hundertwasser Public Toilets were opened in 1999, and quickly became Kawakawa’s primary tourist attraction. In fact, you’d be hard done to find any other toilet block that has been photographed as frequently as this one.
Hundertwasser Public Toilets, Gillies St, Kawakawa 0210, New Zealand
Inside the Hundertwasser Toilets | © Tratinchitza/Flickr
Sheep World, Warkworth
Sheep World, Warkworth
What’s a New Zealand quirky guide without some sheep? While the ovine stereotypes are nearing their expiration date, Sheep World continues to carry out its rural endeavours. Visitors flock to the farm to see its live shearing and rounding-up demonstrations, and to get some insight into how fleece is used and produced. If you’ve never seen a pink sheep before, head on over — there are plenty of those dotted around this unique piece of farmland.
Sheep World, 324 SH 1 (4km north of Warkworth), Warkworth, Dome Valley 0981, New Zealand, +64 9-425 7444
Pink Sheep at Sheep World, Warkworth, New Zealand | © Sids1/Flickr
L&P Bottle, Paeroa
L&P Bottle, Paeroa
Lemon and Paeroa (aka L&P) is a soft drink iconic to New Zealand. It holds such a special place on local notions of Kiwiana (which, for those unfamiliar with the term, are the things that make up Kiwi identity) that the drink’s hometown created a giant statue in its honour. This eight-metre (26.24-foot) sculpture was originally a rocket ship, built as part of a Christmas campaign in 1967. The town decided that, while they liked have a landmark of its size, they wanted something more locally defined – and thus, the ‘world famous in New Zealand’ L&P bottle came into existence.
Giant Lemon & Paeroa Bottle, Paeroa, Paeroa 3600, New Zealand
Lemon and Paeroa Bottle | © russellstreet/Flickr
The Big Carrot, Ohakune
Park, Sports Center, Amusement Park
Gumboot, Taihape
Taihape is known as the gumboot capital of New Zealand. It is where gumboot throwing is a local pastime, and where a giant corrugated iron gumboot statue welcomes all visitors who pass through. In the 1970s, the late New Zealand comedian John Clarke created one of his most famous characters, Kiwi bloke Fred Dagg, based on his vision of a Taihape farmer. It wasn’t long after that the town began embracing the humble and hardworking nature of your average gumboot-trotting citizen.
Sock World and Sock Knitting Machine Museum, Hokitika
The town of Hokitika, on the west coast of the South Island, boasts having the ‘world’s greatest sock store’. The Sock Knitting Machine Museum is right by its side, showcasing an array of vintage equipment that’s bound to impress anyone who knows a thing or two about textiles. If you want to snap a practical little souvenir to take back home, the Sock World is home to a trove of high quality threads and handcrafted socks that you can readily browse through.
The Big Salmon, Rakaia
Set on the southern end of its namesake river, the town of Rakaia is known for its salmon fishing operations – and the massive fibreglass sculpture that pays homage to this long-held tradition. Rising to a whopping 12 metres (39.37 feet) in height, the giant leaping salmon would be hard to miss on a scenic drive across the Canterbury Plains. Salmon World and the annual Rakaia Salmon Fishing Competition are some of the other attractions that sustain the town’s familiar angling theme.
The Giant Jersey, Geraldine
The Giant Jersey, Geraldine
Geraldine is a town in the Canterbury region just a couple of hours’ south from Christchurch. The local knitwear shop was home to the world’s largest jersey – officially recognised as such by the Guinness Book of Records. While the Giant Jersey shop has recently ceased operations, its iconic record-breaker has found a new home at the Kiwi Country Geraldine Visitor Complex. The enormous knitted garment stretches nearly five metres (16.41 feet) from wrist to wrist, reaching two metres (6.56 feet) in height and weighing a respectable 5.5 kilograms (12.13 pounds).
Kiwi Country Geraldine,38 Waihi Terrace, Geraldine 8751, New Zealand, +64 3-693 1101
Geraldine’s Giant Jersey | © Gwydion M. Williams/Flickr
Bra Fence, Cardrona Valley
Hotel
Bra Fence, Cardrona Valley
The Bra Fence in Cardrona Valley is a bit of a mystery. No one knows exactly where it came from, but legend has it that a group of partying ladies were behind the first bra installation on New Years’ Eve in 1998. The women were supposedly staying at the Cardrona Hotel, and placed their bras on the fence for safekeeping. Eventually, more bras started appearing on the same location, with numerous attempts to take them down failing miserably. The fence has since been shifted and was rebranded as ‘Bradrona’ to raise money for New Zealand’s Breast Cancer Foundation.
Cardrona Bra Fence, 2125 Cardrona Valley Rd, Cardrona 9381, New Zealand
Cardrona Bra Fence, New Zealand | © Daniel Fernandes de Oliveira/Flickr
Giant Stone Fruit, Cromwell
Built in 1990, Cromwell’s Giant Stone Fruit installation was created to demarcate the importance of fruit-growing to the region. Cromwell is a strong player in the Central Otago viticulture industry – so it’s no wonder that fruits were chosen to capture the town’s essence and character. Despite the fact the Lonely Planet famously described the landmark as ‘a spectacularly ugly giant fruit salad’, locals cherish their township’s landmark and have even considered adding more fruits to it.
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.