Kawakawa: Going Out Of Our Way is NO In-Convenience...

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Regular readers of my blog will know that  I have a fascination with the weird and wonderful of the everyday world around me: patterns on man-hole covers,  unusual doors and letterboxes, architectural detail … and unusual toilets.

If you need reminding, please see:

For When you Need to Bolt the Stable Door http://kiwidutch.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/new-559/

An Old Fashioned Dutch convienience …sure to surprise Loo.
http://kiwidutch.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/new-post-47/

USA: Getting ready for takeoff and a loo with a view…
http://kiwidutch.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/usa-getting-ready-for-takeoff/

Actually I suppose the latter stems from that fact that we own two of said unusual loos, and well also because when you travel  a little bit off the beaten track you can often find something quirky to add to your “collection” if you keep your eyes peeled.

In this instance however I didn’t have to open my eyes very wide at all because for a very small Northland town of approximately 1300 people, there are there is an inordinately long queue outside the doors of  the public convenience located in the middle of the main street.

In fact, would be even correct to say that many people touring through the region actually detour into the farming community of  Kawakawa expressly to use the public toilets!

An Austrian architect,  Friedensreich Hundertwasser came to the town in 1975 and lived there until his death in 2000:  he not only fell in love with the town but used his talents to quite literally leave his mark on it.

Hundertwasser melded art and design, used recycled materials such as old bottles, iron and tiles to make a brilliantly quirky Public convenience for the town.

The floors are cobbled with uneven tiles in a fashion reminiscent of the European streets he hailed from, there is nary a straight line anywhere to be found in the place, there are golden balls in the corners on the roof,  bulging shapes of every description incorporated everywhere and to top it off (quite literally) … a tree growing out though the roof!

Let’s have a look around…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)