The L&P bottle, Morrinsville and Taupo's Superloo are finalists in TradeMe's People's Choicest Awards.
The Waikato seems to be a pretty choice region - this is what three finalist placements in a new competition show.
Trade Me Property is asking the public to vote for the inaugural People’s Choicest Awards which seek New Zealand’s “choicest” suburb, playground, bush (shrub or tree), dairy, public toilet, landmark and local legend to inspire people to look at new places to live.
The public nominated their favourites with Morrinsville, Paeroa’s L&P bottle and Taupō’s Superloo being among the top contenders.
Morrinsville is a finalist in the category for the Choicest Suburb, alongside Papamoa and Christchurch’s Southshore.
The Waikato “cow town” in the Matamata-Piako District currently has a population of just under 10,000 but is set to grow quite a bit once the 150-hectare Lockerbie Estate development is complete.
“The bonus of living here is, everything in the township is within walking distance. And other towns just 20-30 minutes drive away include Hamilton, Cambridge, Matamata, and Te Aroha,” the nomination reads.
“With beautiful old architecture, walks along the Piako River or a round of golf at the impressive 18-hole golf course with mature trees and a lake on the edge of town, this town has everything going for it.
“A great community vibe, easy parking, and friendly people.”
Matamata-Piako District mayor Adrienne Wilcock said to her, Morrinsville was the clear winner because it had “everything you need and more”.
“It has evolved from a dairy farm service town to so much more. It still has that rural charm, but it also has its own identity,” Wilcock said.
“We’re in a hub, it’s very central. You can go north, south, east, west and be somewhere. Should one need to go to the city, Hamilton is a very easy 25-minute drive away - through picturesque farmland.
“Local events bring people together throughout the year... [And] for a small town it has a surprising creative side with a highly regarded art gallery and the unique Herd of Cows street art trail adding to its character,” she said.
“I even had a new resident tell me recently that Morrinsville has surpassed their expectations.”
Meanwhile, Taupō’s Superloo is a finalist in the category Choicest Public Toilet, alongside the Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa and the Matakana Public Toilets.
The nomination labels the Superloo, built in 1993, as “the future of public ablution facilities” with “high tech hygiene features” including automatic doors, lights and taps, as well as a self-cleaning floor system.
It also has a front desk and receptionist and for $5, people can have a hot shower, complete with a towel, shampoo, and soap.
One user especially highlighted the water pressure in the showers. “[It] is amazing! It almost rips your skin off.”
Another praised the 2-ply toilet paper, an upgrade from the usual 1-ply found in many public restrooms.
Finally, Paeroa’s iconic L&P Bottle from 1968 is a finalist in the choicest landmark category. It is nominated alongside the Ohakune Carrot (built in 1985) and Auckland’s Sky Tower (1997).
Hauraki mayor Toby Adams said he believes the winner is clear.
“I gotta be biased. In my view, we are the winner. A close second would be the Carrot.
“The L&P bottle is iconic - as the ad says ‘it’s been around since ages ago’ and people stop in Paeroa just to see it. Sometimes, Coca-Cola runs promotions on it and dress [the bottle] up, so it doesn’t always look the same.
“If you ask people where they are from and they mention the bottle, there is instant recognition. You could build a Sky Tower anywhere, but not anyone can have the L&P bottle.”
Apart from having a local icon, Adams said Paeroa was a great place to live.
“It has a warm and welcoming community, it’s close to a number of beaches and cities and it has a great quality of life.”
Trade Me Property customer director Gavin Lloyd said the People Choicest Awards are meant to celebrate the best spots shaping Kiwi communities.
“We know that home isn’t just about where you sleep, it’s about how you live.
“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.”
People are invited to vote for their favourites online via trademe.co.nz/c/promo/peoples-choicest-voting. Voting closes on February 14.
Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.