The first sites that come to mind when thinking of New Zealand landmarks are the Skytower or Harbour Bridge in Auckland, or even our highest mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook. But take a break from your routine vacation planning and check out our list of the top 10 strange and fascinating tourist attractions you might want to include in your travel plans.
1. Giant L&P Bottle
The strange and magnificent sights of New Zealand have a general theme. Our tiny communities are undoubtedly proud of their successful products since we are a very proud country. The town, in this instance, is Paeroa, and the item is L&P. For those who may not be familiar with L&P, a lemon soda beverage manufactured with water from the little town of Paeroa, the company’s motto is “world-famous in New Zealand.”
You can understand why L&P, short for Lemon and Paeroa, would be so proud of themselves. Check out the enormous bottle as you drive through town, or even better, get a bottle from the neighborhood dairy and pair it with fish and chips.
2. Cardrona Bra Fence
Nobody is completely sure how Bradrona got started, and some people aren’t exactly sure why it’s still around. Yet there’s no denying that it attracts a lot of attention! Bradrona is a colorful fence covered in tens of thousands of bras in the breathtaking Cardrona Valley. That’s accurate—women’s bras. About 1988, the bras first began to arrive here, and despite years of attempts to remove them, they are unquestionably here to stay.
According to rumors, the first few bras belonged to a pair of inebriated young women who were spending New Year’s Eve at the nearby Cardrona Hotel. Make sure you stop by because Bradrona has donated thousands of dollars to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Fund, making the attraction a fantastic source of charitable giving.
3. Hundertwasser Public Toilets
Certain public restrooms could only be deemed tourist attractions in New Zealand. But these aren’t your typical public restrooms. These toilets are a true piece of art and can be found at Kawakawa, which is on the route to the Bay of Islands from the north.
The toilets were created by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser using discarded local materials, such as bottles, tiles, and a living tree. Make sure to wait until you reach Kawakawa if you need a pit stop on your route north so you can go to the bathroom in style!
4. Ohakune Carrot
Ohakune is another town that enjoys commemorating its most well-known export. To be honest, are your carrots indeed carrots if they aren’t from Ohakune? In New Zealand, we do seem to have a penchant for ‘big’ fruits and vegetables, and this 7.5-meter sculpture is very stunning. Although some Ohakune locals at first found the enormous carrot to be a little too “phallic,” they have since grown to adore it, and it has become a symbol of New Zealand.
5. Bucket Fountain
One of New Zealand’s top streets in Cuba Street. The Bucket Fountain is one of the street’s notable characteristics and adds to its distinctive ambiance and vitality. This moving installation, which features buckets of water flowing into a pool below, is defined by its vibrant colors.
The issue is that more water frequently than not comes up on the sidewalk and over unaware individuals, making it a fascinating area to spend some time people-watching. After consuming too many sherberts, mischievous students also have a habit of shooting dishwashing solutions into the fountain, which is usually entertaining!
6. Gumboot Statue
Yes, you read that right—a gigantic gumboot made our list. The small hamlet of Taihape, which is a few hours’ drive north of Wellington, not only has a big gumboot, but it also hosts an annual gumboot throwing competition.
Another prominent landmark is the gigantic gumboot, which stands out due to its vivid color and contribution to Taihape’s reputation as the “Gumboot Capital of the World.” We won’t argue the point!
7. The Kumara Box
Are your kumaras truly kumaras if they’re not from Dargaville, like the Ohakune carrot? Kumaras, commonly referred to as sweet potatoes, are a common crop in Dargaville and are unknown to many people.
Make sure to call in and check out some of the kumara memorabilia owned by kumara enthusiast and Dargaville native Warren Suckling, also known as “Ernie the Kumara King.” It certainly fits the strange description!
8. Te Kuiti Shearer Statue
A huge statue of a sheep shearer is the next item on the list. Te Kuiti is one of the many “global capitals” that New Zealand can lay claim to. The six-meter-tall statue can be seen at the “Sheep Shearing Capital of the World.”
Although the statue’s model is unknown, it is appropriate that it is situated here, given that Te Kuiti is home to Sir David Alexander Fagan, a sheep shearer who holds 10 world records.
9. Tree Church
This ranks right up there with the strange and amazing. Ohaupo’s The Tree Church is indeed a sight to behold. The Tree Church, founded in 2011 by Barry Cox, is still expanding and changing.
Trees were spread across an iron frame to form the church, and Mother Nature did the rest. The end result is one of New Zealand’s most magnificent cathedrals, which changes depending on the season. There are many couples who prefer to say their vows there each year because it’s a really intriguing location.
10. Kiwifruit Country
Another enormous statue of fruit! Te Puke, in the center of the kiwi farming country, is home to the enormous kiwi fruit. It’s one of the earliest examples of a “huge fruit” and likely served as the model for some of our other extraordinary gigantic fruits and vegetables.
The kiwi’s vivid green color makes it nearly difficult to miss it and provides an excellent photo opportunity. Is there anything more distinctly Kiwi than posing for pictures next to a huge kiwi?
