The Hundertwasser Public Toilets
On the main street of Kawakawa, a nondescript town just off State Highway 1 south of Paihia, stand surely the most artistic public toilets in the country—a must-go even if you don't need to. Built by Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1997, the toilets are fronted by brightly colored ceramic columns supporting an arched portico, which in turn supports a rooftop garden of grasses. There are no straight lines in the building, finished inside with mostly white tiles, punctuated with primary colors, and set in black grout (something like a Mondrian after a few drinks). If you sit in one of the cafés across the road you can watch the tourist buses stop so the visitors can take pictures of the facilities.
