Kawakawa: Cultural Junction of the North

Where else could you ride a vintage steam train up the middle of the Main Street? Only in Kawakawa!

Where else could you find a toilet that people travel all around the world to see? Yes, only in Kawakawa - home of the world famous Hundertwasser toilets.

Kawakawa, a former coal town has been successfully reinventing itself as an art bohemia since the late 1980's.

Quirky doesn't stop at the Hundertwasser toilets. Across the road, the ''Amaze'' labyrinth, created by Mathew Nisbet will surprise and delight as you wander the pathway with its hidden artistic and colorful treasures.

Gaze in awe at the magnificently intricate mural created by children of local Karetu Primary School. Themed on the sustainability and conservation of the environment and inspired by Frederick Hundertwasser; this work is way beyond the age of the five to 12-year-old creators. Look close and you will see that the work also embraces the environmental values of other cultures throughout the world.

See the fabulous mosaic seat, A te Wa (translated to mean: ''all the time in the world'') created by Moerewa artist Doddy Hohepa. Looking deceivingly like a soft comfy old 1950's couch/sofa, this three-tonne creation is made up of hundreds of mosaic pieces and portrays native birds and trees of New Zealand.

Look down from the mosaic seat and your eyes will be drawn along a meandering trail of 144 unique hand carved ceramic tiles created by local artist, Lisanne Davis. See the five stunning bronze traffic bollards, created by Richard Smart, with design assistance from Lisanne Davis and Hari Ngawati, which depict the mixed cultures of the community.

Then there is the original bronzed directional sign ''The Lantern'' - created by Richard Smart. The earth is represented in the upper sphere and is held up by man and nature (the base), ''the full weight of the planet rests on mankind and to survive we must form a treaty of co-operation.''

A walk in the local park will reveal a large concrete sculpture by Peter Yates, a replicated Hundertwasser Town sign and memorial to our returned servicemen.

The development of Hundertwasser Park will soon be underway and this will promote and reflect Frederick Hundertwasser's love of nature and his commitment to conservation and the environment. The building of a centre will strongly reflect his personal life in Kawakawa, the town he loved and made his own.

A visit to the town's Museum unveils the history of this former coalmining town. Temporarily housed there is also an excellent display on the life of Frederick Hundertwasser in Kawakawa.

He lived not far from Kawakawa and following his death in on February 19, 2000 he now rests in a grave under a Tulip Tree in ''The Land of the Happy Dead'' on his beloved Kaurinui Farm.