Cheers for 50 years
The giant Lemon and Paeroa bottle has been a part of Bernadette Neustroski’s life for as long as she can remember.
As a child she used to ride her bike from the giant concrete edifice to the original spring where the water for the world famous in New Zealand softdrink was drawn.
But it’s been a family affair too, with her mother, Josie Beach, chosen at age 92 to be the face of the drink’s centenary celebrations in 2007.
It’s no wonder attending the 50th anniversary celebrations of the giant bottle today was not to be missed.
‘‘We’re only a small town but most people stop at it on their way through – a lot of people have a lot of fun with this bottle.’’
The fun began with the landmark dressed in a big yellow bow and celebrations held at the Paeroa Domain.
Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga said he appreciated how the bottle had never changed from saying ‘Lemon and Paeroa’.
‘‘Locals know it as Lemon and Paeroa, not L&P.’’
He said the bottle had been popular for the 30 years he had been involved in local government.
It ‘‘was a sad day’’ when production of the drink itself was shifted to Auckland, but Coca-Cola Amatil NZ ‘‘still worked with the community because of bottle’s] importance’’, he said.
Canadian traveller Bailey DePauw had stopped off at the bottle for a photo on the way to the Karangahake gorge with a friend.
DePauw said they had made a special stop in Paeroa to get a photo with the bottle to round out their five-day trip.
‘‘We’ve actually come back to Paeroa for the photo after missing it coming into the Coromandel.’’
Alistair Buchanan had lived in Paeroa his whole life and remembered when the landmark was constructed in 1968 and positioned further toward the centre of town, outside the old post office building.
The bottle was later relocated to O¯ hinemuri Reserve, and repositioned further back from the road in 2002 when it was deemed to be a traffic hazard.
Underneath the tourism appeal, the bottle was still recognised as ‘‘a symbol of pride for the community’’ by locals, he said.
Town promoter Jo Tilsley, from Positive Paeroa, said the L&P Bottle ‘‘really helped to put Paeroa on the map’’. ‘‘People come to Paeroa to see the bottle. We’re really proud of that.
‘‘I can vividly remember people standing in the middle of State Highway 2 to get the perfect whole family photo,’’ Tilsley said.
She said the move allowed people to ‘‘get the photo without risking life and limb’’.