Tirau is a small rural town that sits on a major junction point of the New Zealand state highway network on the North Island. Apart from being in a suitable location to break up a road trip, this interesting town has a unique character that sets it apart from other places in the world.
Getting to know Tirau
Relatively closely situated to many tourist attractions, Tirau is a busy little town offering interesting cafes, restaurants and a variety of boutique shops. Because of its location at the point where state highways converge, there is a fair amount of traffic passing through the main street. But the town is more than just a place you pass through on your way to somewhere else.
As you enter the town you can’t help but notice the large collection of corrugated iron artworks. They take the forms of shop signs, garden statues and features – even a few buildings!
It really does make you want to stop and have a look around, which is the point of it all and provides a steady trade for the shopkeepers. An information centre is located inside their iconic large corrugated dog. While another building in the form of a sheep and a ram houses a merino wool gallery and gift store.
Most of the businesses in Tirau have a distinctive corrugated iron artwork that depicts the theme or the name of their business.
You will see items such as the large statue of Jesus as Shepherd outside the church, or the reindeers pulling Santa’s sleigh across the top of the Christmas decorations shop.
Take a break
There were quite a few cafes to choose from, but in the end, I chose Poppy’s Café.
This family-run café is delightful, and there is off-street parking which is a bonus on the bustling main street. The food is great and there are plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options available. It has a cosy indoor seating area, and a larger area undercover at the back. Service came with a smile and a sense of humour.
At the front of the café is a spring-fed water fountain, where you can fill up your water bottle for the onward journey.
Next to the café, there was a lovely gift store with a mix of artwork, collectables, souvenirs, metal garden art, jewellery, books, lamps and more. Many items are handmade by local artists. You can find their website here: Little Gems Tirau.
Corrugated Creations
The corrugated artwork in the town is individually handmade and is produced by a local artist who runs a business called Corrugated Creations.
Finding all the artworks was entertaining, and I enjoyed the diversion as a break from the drive.
When you are passing by
You will be close to, or perhaps will pass through Tirau when you are driving between Hamilton and Rotorua on the Thermal Explorer Highway. Tirau is a 40 minute drive from Rotorua and a 43 minute drive from Hamilton. You could stay near Tirau for a few days to take in the local attractions and make day trips out to Hamilton, Rotorua and Matamata from there.
Where will you stay?
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So very quirky indeed. Quite a clever way to draw people to a town. It certainly seems to work.