Much more than the birthplace of L&P, there's plenty to do in Paeroa. Photo / 123rf
Continuing with his hit road trip series, Peter Dragicevich searches out the best places for a pit stop on a classic Kiwi road trip. In Paeroa, he ponders the mysteries of Kiwiana.
It's an odd predicament being "world-famous in New Zealand". It's hard to know if it's a blessing or a curse. I mean, have you ever tried to explain the appeal of Paeroa to an international visitor?
"So why is it famous?"
"Because it's where L&P comes from."
"What's that?"
"It's a homegrown fizzy drink that used to be called Lemon & Paeroa and is considered an icon of Kiwiana. I used to drink it with Southern Comfort when I was a teenager – until I got horribly sick on it one night in the Mission Bay car park."
"Classy. So it's famous because it's a successful New Zealand business. Support local – that kind of thing?"
"Not really. It's now owned by Coca-Cola."
"But it's made in Paeroa?"
"No, it's actually made in Auckland. It used to be made from mineral water that bubbled out of a spring in Paeroa."
You have to agree it's a hard sell. But stopping at the giant L&P bottle in Paeroa has been a rite-of-passage for generations of Kiwi kids. That's because the Big L&P Bottle is the granddaddy of New Zealand's "big things". Before there was a Big Carrot, Big Doughnut, Big Fruit Bowl, Big Shearer or any species of Big Fish, Paeroa's Big Bottle was the last word in New Zealand bigness.
Contrary to popular belief, the bottle did not get its start as a rocket ship built out of concrete water troughs for a Christmas display in 1967, but you'll be forgiven for thinking as much, as this has long been the story sold as gospel. Rather, the gargantuan monument was a purpose-built attraction - and twice the size of said rocket. Constructed to better promote Paeroa township, its creation followed a meeting between a group of Paeroa businessmen discussing that very subject, sometime in or around 1968-69. A bottle of L&P just so happened to be sitting on the table, seemingly planting its existence into the mens' subconscious while they talked. Not so long later and the behemoth bottle was built.
Paeroa sits at the junction of state highways 2 and 26. These summer holidays you're most likely to pass through if you're heading between Auckland and Waihī Beach, Tauranga and Thames, or Hamilton and Whangamatā.
Even before the highways existed, Paeroa was a major transit point, being positioned where the Ohinemuri River flows into the Waihou River. Ngāti Hako first settled here in the 15th century, before being edged out by Ngāti Tamaterā in the 17th. Three major pā once guarded the riverbanks.
The iwi managed to keep gold miners out of the area until 1875. When the floodgates opened, more than a thousand prospectors descended and a canvas shanty town sprang up. Paeroa became the main service town and processing hub for the goldfields. It seems incredible now but steamers used to stop at the bottom of Wharf Rd, making it the furthest inland port in New Zealand.
Those hoping for a quick fortune were soon disillusioned as the gold was embedded in quartz which needed to be pounded into grit and extracted using cyanide. Before long, the grit had silted up the Ohinemuri River – forcing the wharf to move further downstream to where the Historical Maritime Park and Museum now stands – while the cyanide finished off any remaining aquatic life. The river is doing much better these days, although the nitrogen levels could be better.
Aside from the L&P connection, Paeroa is now best known for its many antique shops and heralds itself as "the antiques capital of New Zealand". If you're a Crown Lynn collector or you're in the market for an old wagon wheel to add a touch of rusticity to your man cave, Paeroa is the place for you.
Our pick of the eating options is The Refinery, housed in the old National Bank gold refinery building on Willoughby St (built in 1914). After lunch, cross the road and have a stroll through the Domain and up Primrose Hill to tick off those two stalwarts of Kiwi small towns, the band rotunda (1906) and cenotaph (1930).
If you're stocking up for the bach, there's a decent-sized Countdown on the main drag. Grab a bottle of L&P if you must, but just remember that it hasn't been made here since 1980.
For more to see and do in the region, visit thecoromandel.com. If you're interested in the nearby Hauraki Rail Trail, visit waikatonz.com
Check traffic light settings, vaccine requirements and Ministry of Health advice before travel. covid19.govt.nz
The surprising gift is probably worth a significant amount.