Famous Kawakawa toilets closed

The Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa have been closed after a cavity was found under the nearby footpath.

A member of the public reported a small hole on the edge of the footpath last week.

The Far North District Council has engaged an engineer to inspect a cavity underneath the hole and is asking people to use public toilets in the carpark behind the Hundertwasser Toilets while they are closed.

Council spokesman Steve Little says the council apologises for having to close the loos, which are a famous tourist attraction.

‘‘We appreciate that the toilets are loved by locals and they attract visitors to the town. However, ensuring public safety has to be our primary concern.’’

The council is unable to say how long it will take to complete the investigation or remedial works to make the footpath safe.

‘‘The cavity is about a metre long, so we will need to excavate part of the footpath. It may be necessary to close the toilets for up to a week or longer.

‘‘The cavity could be caused by a leak from a water main which runs under the main street of Kawakawa or there could be other factors at play. We will have a better idea when we have completed our investigation.’’

The colourful toilet designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser was built in 1998.

He first visited New Zealand in the 1970s for an exhibition of his work and decided to make the country his second home.

He bought a property east of Kawakawa.

When he suddenly passed away in 2000, the Kawakawa toilets were to become his last completed architectural enterprise.