Owner considers closing toilets at Te Kawa crossroads

Are these the worst toilets in New Zealand? Photo / Jay Reid

When Aucklander Jay Reid felt the call of nature during a recent trip to the King Country, he pulled in to a rest stop in search of relief and what he found left him sickened.

"When I saw that place I wanted to vomit," Reid told the Herald about his visit to the toilets at Te Kawa crossroads, north of Otorohanga.

He was so disgusted that he photographed the scene, sending the photos to the Herald in an effort to have conditions improved.

The photos show the grime and graffiti that greeted Reid as he sought relief - and the Herald asked him to provide a full sensory report on the facilities.

He simply replied that it smelled "like poo".

He said there was no soap in the dispenser, detergent replaced by detritus as vandals had used the empty vessel to store their rubbish.

Jay Reid said he felt sick when he walked into the toilet at Te Kawa Crossroads. Photo / Jay Reid

He said there was also no Covid-19 signage advising on hand-washing and hygiene.

Reid told the Herald he was so repulsed that he opted to hold on and make the 17km drive into Otorohanga.

He said that he travelled extensively around the North Island and the toilets were the worst he had seen.

He said he spoke with a local woman who was using the ladies' toilets there and who described the facilities as "the worst toilets in New Zealand".

He said it looked as if the facilities hadn't be cleaned in years.

Since sharing his experience online he had been contacted by locals who advised to "never" visit the toilets.

A spokesperson for the Waitomo fuel chain made it clear that they had no control over the toilets, which were owned and operated by the landlord who also owns the takeaway and shop at the site.

They said they have received complaints in the past about the toilets and were "as disgusted you would be" about the photos.

They said that had passed the feedback on to the landlord but had not had much response and stressed that the state of the facilities there was not in keeping with the values of their "family business" but they were not able to force the landlord's hand.

The landlord claimed the toilets were cleaned morning and evening. Photo / Jay Reid

The landlord, Paul Sandhu, admitted that the ageing facility needed upgrading and said that they were working to refurbish the toilets.

He told the Herald that the toilets were cleaned in the morning and evening, but remained open to customers overnight.

The photographs in this story were taken at midday.

Sandhu said he taken staff to task over the conditions seen in the photographs.

There was some toilet paper, but no soap. Photo / Jay Reid

He said he would institute a better system for documenting and recording the cleaning process, with staff being asked to photograph after the toilets had been cleaned.

He said he had ongoing issues with damage and said that he had experimented with locking the toilets overnight, but vandals had simply cut the locks and gained entry.

Sandhu, who owns other similar businesses in the North Island, said that theft was an issue, with soap and toilet paper regularly going missing from toilets that are open to the public.

He admitted ongoing issues with the toilets, which he inherited when he bought the property in 2016, and said he was considering closing the outdoor facilities and operating one toilet inside the store.

He said that, in the meantime, he would be working hard to improve their condition by asking staff to be more fastidious with their cleaning and by purchasing new equipment, some of which was already on order.