Paeroa’s famous L&P bottle ‘frozen and under wraps’

It's been confirmed the big bottle in Paeroa is not getting a facelift.

Paeroa’s “world famous in New Zealand” giant L&P bottle has been “frozen” and placed under “wraps” but it’s not permanent.

While Hauraki District Council confirmed it owns the landmark, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners New Zealand owns the rights to the brand and carries out promotion and maintenance work on the bottle.

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners New Zealand confirmed it was a promotion for a new product.

“We’re really excited to launch L&P frozen at McDonalds; L&P frozen is a limited-edition menu item, you can get yours over the next six months.

“To celebrate the launch we have wrapped our iconic L&P bottle in Paeroa. Our L&P bottle has been transformed in a special designed wrap for one week only.”

Paeroa's iconic L&P Bottle prior to its 2023 makeover.

In 2023 the giant bottle was whitewashed in anticipation of a resplendent new look.

The big bottle underwent a facelift after becoming weathered, it was repainted and protected with graffiti guard.

The drink was created in 1907 after an analysis of Paeroa mineral water by Arthur Wohlman three years earlier.

Wohlman’s study revealed the water contained a high concentration of magnesium bicarbonate which was believed to have curative effects. It was mixed with lemon to create the Kiwi classic.

The property on which the spring sat was purchased by Robert Fewell and his brother-in-law Frank Brinkler in 1908. The pair continued to bottle the water until 1915 when the company was sold off to Menzies and Company, who opened a larger-scale factory in Paeroa.

Former Hauraki District mayor John Tregidga in front of the revamped L&P bottle for its 50th anniversary in 2019.

The bottle began from not-so-humble beginnings as a replica space rocket for Paeroa’s 1967 Christmas promotion. Paeroa was to “rocket into Christmas”, recorded the late local curator and historian of the Paeroa and District Museum, Graham Watton.

The original 7m high, 1.3m diameter structure was made of six stacked concrete water troughs with a fibreglass “neck” housing a public address system that blared music and announcements during the promotion.

The oversized L&P bottle in Paeroa awaits selfie moments. Photo / Michael Williams, Dreamstime

It was then painted in Lemon & Paeroa bottle colours in early 1969 before being stored away. It was rebuilt and established on its original site shortly thereafter.

The bottle was moved in 2002 from its original position to its present site 20m back into the Ohinemuri Reserve, to allow photographers a safe position away from the middle of State Highway 2.