We are off to Katikati today, a little town just north of the East coast resort of Tauronga. Katikati is known for two things: avocado capital of New Zealand and its self proclaimed title ‘mural town’. Its about a two hour drive from Taupo via Rotorua. A nice drive – until you reach the outskirts of Tauranga which becomes very busy in the summer holiday season.
As the avocado capital, Katikati is of course, surrounded by orchards. Not only avocado (avo’s to Kiwis) but also Kiwi fruit and Feijoa (pinapple guava). The town itself is pretty much just a mainstreet of small but interesting shops but has this little hidden gem of a park and footpath which run parallel to the street, but hidden away behind the shops. It can be accessed directly through the information centre (every town has an information centre, they are called ‘iSite‘. They are really useful, well stocked and staffed and always worth a visit for local information and brochures).
The murals the town is famous for depict all sorts of interesting elements of the colourful local history. They have all been created by individual artists and local groups. They started creating the murals in 1991, they are all beautifully painted on buildings all through the town. Each has a short story explaining its significance. There are now more than 40; we didn’t see them all! https://www.katikatiopenairart.co.nz/gallery/
There is also a fun sculpture in the main street…man reading newspaper….when we visited, the Christmas sled had been added for the season!
On the way back from Katikati we took the opportunity to stop off and visit the Blue Springs or Te Waihou, near Putaruru. The water in these springs percolates up through the local rocks of the plateau taking over 100 years to make the trip. The result is remarkably clear water that not only supplies the local town but about 70% of NZ’s bottled water. There are two options, a 4.7km (3 mile) track from one side or a 500m track from the other side. The springs really are pretty amazing, the water is so clear it looks unreal. Fortunately, swimming here has been banned. I say fortunately because it is so tempting I am sure everyone that visits would be tempted to strip off and jump in!
Lastly, one great item we picked up in Katikati was this little beauty…a fly zapper! It has metal wire meshes on which a battery generates a 3000V static charge. Don’t worry, current is REALLY low! just wait until the fly lands, press the button and bring it down on the fly and …ZZZZAP! This would probably never be available in the USA but it sure is effective! Haven’t tried it on my tongue yet…….!