Where New Zealanders Flush with Pride

On the final day of our 4-day weekend, we drove down the east side of the Northland peninsula. I'm not sure if our stop in Kawakawa was a health break or a visit to an art gallery. Internationally known artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser left Austria and became a New Zealand citizen in 1983. Several years later, he was approached by the community to design what have since become New Zealand's most famous toilets.

The artist used an eclectic assortment of materials in his design, including recycled bricks, student-created tiles, concrete, steel, copper, and bits and pieces of ceramics. The facilities were created around a tree! The Hundertwasser Toilets became an overnight sensation, and the whimsical spot is one of New Zealand's most photographed attractions. Glad I finished taking my photos before a busload of tourists made a pit stop.