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Kawakawa Must-Do's
Hundertwasser Memorial Park - Celebrating the life and achievements of Hundertwasser, this bold hub of creativity encompasses a small museum, public artwork, workshops, library and community town square. It’s a wonderful collision of colour and mosaic.
Hundertwasser Toilet Block - Celebrated Austrian artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser made Kawakawa his second home in the 1970s. His unique creative design is evident in the town’s public toilets, located on the main street; the resulting kaleidoscope of colour and ceramics is well worth the stop.
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Kawakawa toilets © NorthlandNZ
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway - A spectacle for visitors and a mild cause of alarm for drivers, this vintage locomotive is the only working railway in Aotearoa that chugs down a State Highway. Trundling right through the town of Kawakawa, you can ride the rails Friday to Sunday from Kawakawa’s historic 1911 train station.
Kawiti Glowworm Caves - Named after their caretakers, the Kawiti family, the Waiomio Glowworm Caves are cradled between rainforest and rocks. And where there be grottos, there be glowworms. Your tour journeys underground through caverns aglow with larvae.
Ruapekapeka Pā - This pā, 20km southeast of Kawakawa is one of the largest and most complex in New Zealand; Ngāpuhi (Māori iwi/tribe based in Northland) designed it specifically to counter the artillery fire of British forces and the earthworks can still be seen.
Te Rito Marae - Sitting on the Twin Coast Cycle Trail in Moerewa, 10km from Kawakawa. Overnight stays include authentic whakatau (welcome and storytelling) and home-cooked kai. Come evening, poi performance and haka lessons are entwined with Māori narrative.
