Kawakawa - Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Originally known as " Irishtown" , Kawakawa is the only town in New Zealand to have a railway track running down the main street. Kawakawa's coalmining past is displayed at the Kawakawa museum in the historic World War One memorial Library building. Gabriel the steam engine's trips have been temporarily suspended due to maintenance, but plan are undersway for her to ply the historic track between Kawakawa and Opua.
The Kawiti glow-worm caves are an attraction - but Kawakawa is mostly famous for.: Hundertwasser's Kawakawa Toilets A work of art, from the grass roof, to gold balls, ceramic tiles, bottle glass windows, mosaic tiling, copper handwork, cobblestone flooring, individual sculptures and a living tree integrated into the design structure...
Frederick Hundertwasser first visited New Zealand in the 1970's to mount a public exhibition of his work. He was so captured by the country that he resolved to make it his second home, purchasing an isolated rural property on the Waikino peninsula on the Waikare Inlet east of the Kawakawa. Initially he was to spend only a few months of each year in the Bay of Islands, with the majority of his time still spent in Europe - Vienna in particular. But in recent years Hundertwasser spent more and more time at his New Zealand home.
Read more »
Places of interest: Train Station, Hundertwasser Toilets, Motorcycle & Pioneering Museum, Kawiti Glow Warm Caves
Major Towns in the Bay of Islands:
Waitangi | Paihia | Opua | Russell | Kerikeri | Kawakawa
Bay of Islands History
|