A band of guerrilla town renovators have taken on their biggest job yet - an extreme makeover for a toilet block described by one visitor as the worst in New Zealand.
Since Friday of last week, a group of volunteers calling themselves the Paihia Phantom Placemakers have been hard at work in the Marsden Rd public loos, first demolishing thick masonry walls and now rebuilding to a radical, and hopefully pleasing, design.
The loos are rated the worst and yet the most-used in the Bay of Islands tourist town, because they are next to the main coach stop and a short skip from the wharf and main shopping street. The plan is to open up the dank and dingy toilet block, making it lighter, safer and less prone to vandalism.
Project leader Grant Harnish, who also chairs the community trust Focus Paihia, said the toilets were "a true embarrassment" to the town. Their state was summed up by graffiti in the ladies' toilet saying: "Worst public toilets I have seen thus far in NZ."
"The level of complaints we had about them was so high. It was the smell, the vandalism ... they even had an open sewer at the back. They were truly disgusting," he said.
The makeover was progressing well with tiles going in last Wednesday and new plumbing and electrics on Thursday; some nights, work went on until 10pm.
The plan is to have the transformation complete in time for a street party tomorrow.
"We're absolutely smoking it," Mr Harnish said.
The work was done by volunteers and tradesmen giving their time free, and materials had been bought at cost and paid for with proceeds from Focus Paihia's op shop.
The Paihia Phantom Placemakers were set up last year, inspired by the philosophy of Australian urban design guru David Engwicht, who urges communities to reclaim their towns and public places. Instead of complaining about what's wrong or waiting for cash-strapped councils to act, he wants people to improve their towns themselves - even if it means riding a little roughshod over the rules.
The group's previous projects include a makeover of the Village Green, a flag trail and a tidy-up of Maiki Hill. Mr Engwicht has arrived from Brisbane to lend a hand, giving up nine days to help transform the loos.
Focus Paihia is celebrating the project with a get-together on the Village Green at 3pm tomorrow. Partygoers are urged to take plate and wear a fancy hat. If it rains, the party will be held in the Paihia Memorial Hall.
Where do you think Northland's worst, and best, public toilets are, and why?
Tell your toilet tales to reporters@northernadvocate.co.nz.