Only one Northland finalist in Trade Me Property People’s Choicest awards

Kawakawa’s world famous Hundertwasser toilet block is the only Northland finalist in the Trade Me Property People’s Choicest awards.

There is only one Northland finalist in the inaugural Trade Me Property People’s Choicest awards, but it’s one of the region’s most famous attractions – The Hundertwasser toilet block in Kawakawa.

Trade Me Property has announced the finalists for the inaugural People’s Choicest awards, a chance to celebrate everyday life in New Zealand.

The awards have seven categories: Choicest Suburb, Playground, Bush (shrub or tree), Dairy, Public Toilet, Landmark and Local Legend. Finalists were selected based on the number of nominations received.

And the only finalist from Northland is the multi-award winning Hundertwasser toilets. The building was also listed as a Category 1 historic place by Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga in 2023.

Trade Me Property customer director Gavin Lloyd says it’s been awesome to see the nominations roll in from Kiwis all over Aotearoa. “There’s been a real variety of nominations, from classic Kiwi icons like the beloved L&P bottle for Choicest Landmark, and the biggest and cheapest ice creams seem to be a prerequisite for the Choicest Dairy, but we’ve also seen some surprises like Morrinsville, Pāpāmoa and Southshore coming through for Choicest Suburb.”

Gavin Lloyd says the People Choicest’s awards are designed to celebrate the best spots shaping Kiwi communities. “At Trade Me Property, we know that home isn’t just about where you sleep, it’s about how you live,” he said. “By highlighting some of our most-loved local icons, we hope to inspire Kiwis to imagine new possibilities for how they could live, with every street, suburb and region having potential.”

The finalists for the “Choicest” public toilets in New Zealand are the Hundertwasser toilets, Matakana public toilets, and Taupo’s superloo.

Built in 1999, the Hundertwasser toilets are New Zealand’s most photographed public toilets, attracting around 250,000 visitors a year. It has been officially declared a Category 1 historic place of significance, despite being just 25 years old. It has tough competition in the serene and beautiful Matakana public toilets, described by one visitor as “a bit like going to the bathroom in a church”, and Taupo’s superloo, which offers a hot shower with shampoo and towels for $5.

Voting is now open and votes can be cast online at https://www.trademe.co.nz/c/promo/peoples-choicest-voting, with voting closing on February 14.