The iconic oversized chair outside the Madhatter cafe in Kāeo has been removed after the cafe's closure.
The iconic oversized chair outside the Madhatter cafe in Kāeo has been removed after the cafe's closure.
For years, locals and travellers alike knew to stop at the Madhatters in Kāeo – the one with the chair.
But over the past few weeks they have been driving past a memory.
The iconic oversized chair that once stood outside the cafe has been removed, following the cafe’s closure.
The chair was a gift to the cafe’s first owner, Donna Cornford, from her friend Mary Vermy, who trained as a signwriter for the motorways in the 1970s and spent 10 years working in a wooden toy factory. She combined both skills to construct the chair.
“It took me a few weeks to make. At the time I was renovating my lounge and had all this space, so I drew the plans on the lounge floor and made it.”
She said she used plans for regular-size chairs she found online and scaled them up.
The chair, which became a much-loved photo spot and landmark in Kāeo, was taken by Vermy and is now in storage. Vermy hopes it won’t stay that way for long.
“I heard through the grapevine that it has been missed already, and I am sure we can work something out with community groups. It needs a few repairs and if we find a new spot that is safe, we will put it back up.”
“I used to sit and watch people climbing all over it. I got a kick out of seeing them taking pictures of it and enjoyed the fact that people enjoyed it. I put it at the cafe for people stopping in town, it was a good thing for the town regardless of where it’s planted.”
She said she will miss the cafe and seeing the chair on the main road.
“I would like to see it back on the main road … I think the cafe not being there will change Kāeo, I know I will miss it. Hopefully, something nice comes along and will be just as iconic.”
Bill Hori, of Ngāti Kauwau descent, spent 55 years living in Kāeo. He now lives in Kerikeri, but still refers to Kāeo as home.
Bill Hori pictured next to the oversized chair said its removal will change the look of the main road. Photo / Jenny Ling
He said the cafe and chair no longer being there will change how the town looks.
“There is no other town with that iconic symbol.”
Hori often visited the cafe when hosting meetings as it provided one of the few spaces in the area where you could have a quick meeting.
“We don’t have those conference areas that we can go to and have food available at the same time.
It will be missed. It had a very good menu. It will be strange without it.”
