Tokoroa's public toilets named best in the country after receiving third award

The Leith Place toilets in Tokoroa mark out the Southern Cross constellation. Photo / Nick Lambert, DCA Architects

It's official - Tokoroa has the most beautiful public toilets in the country after the Leith Place toilets in the CBD were recently awarded the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Best Loo Award.

The award recognises the best public toilet in the country and judges take into consideration the location, facilities, cleanliness, interior, exterior and the surrounding environment.

The Leith Place toilets, designed by DCA Architects from Rotorua, have previously won two awards, the Waikato/BoP New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) award and a regional award from Architectural Design New Zealand (ADNZ).

South Waikato District Council is thrilled about the win of the most recent award. Mayor Jenny Shattock says the toilets have been built as part of the Leith Place upgrade.

"We wanted to create a plaza area for visitors and locals to use, provide parking for shoppers, incorporate the existing Talking Poles into a forest, build new toilets and create a WOW factor to attract passing traffic off the highway. We're very pleased that the KNZB judges saw this WOW factor in the toilets and the wider space."

The Leith Place toilet building consists of five individual cylinders marking out the Southern Cross star constellation which has long been a navigation tool used by Māori, Pasifika and Europeans. Tokoroa prides itself on being home to a wide range of cultures and ethnicities.

The five individual toilets mark out the Southern Cross star constellation. Photo / Nick Lambert, DCA Architects

The toilet cylinders vary in height from seven to nine metres and consist of a stand-alone and enclosed toilet at the base, a metal framework with wooden fins up its height and a shiny disc on the very top. They even light back down and through the open fins.

Shattock invites travellers to stop next time they are passing through Tokoroa to see what all the fuss is about. "Spend a penny. And of course, spend a little more with our local retailers. It's a great spot for a bite to eat, a coffee and to stretch your legs."