Tīrau: The signposts had passed by many times as I drove through them on my way elsewhere. Never once did I give this little town in the Waikato much thought. But then one rainy day, I took the turnoff from State Highway 1, stopped for a few hours, and found myself grinning at everything.
It’s got a bunch of attractions and shops housed within giant corrugated-iron animals, and it’s leaned right in to its agricultural roots, which is all well and good but can easily be a bit gimmicky. There’s something quite charming about it, though. In the drizzle I wandered the main street, grabbed lunch from one of the local cafe, and came away thinking that Tīrau knew exactly what it wanted to be.
It wasn’t trying to compete with the big tourist towns; it was just doing its own quirky thing, with sheet metal and a sense of humour.
My Day in Tīrau
Surrounding
When you pull into town, the first thing you notice is that the corrugated-iron ram and sheep is larger than life. I pulled up on the other side of the road, got out of the car, and just stared at them for a moment. Some guy thought it would of be cool to build a whole building that was a giant sheep, complete with face and ears; and then he put a gigantic ram next door as well.
And it’s not like these are just novelty buildings, people has shops inside… But from the outside they look like huge animals staring down at you from the side of the highway.
A little further along I came across the sheepdog, which is perhaps my favourite of them all. It has this earnest, slightly goofy look about it. The entire structure juts out over the footpath, with its muzzle sticking out in front.
With a banner strung up saying “Welcome to Tīrau” it’s just so very proudly small-town New Zealand, making me laugh out loud.
Near the main strip there was also this robed, tall figure made from the same corrugated iron that everything is. What it’s meant to be; perhaps a shepherd? Perhaps something else?
I’m still not quite certain, but it looms above the footpath and adds to the overall oddness of the place in a good way.
On my return walk to the car I saw handprints imprinted on the concrete footpath. The sort of thing that gives a place a sense of being lived-in, as opposed to simply set-dressed for tourists.
Cabbage Tree Cafe
As the rain began to get heavier, I ducked into Cabbage Tree Cafe on Main Road primarily due to its busy appearance and warmth. There were some tables outside on the verandah, complete with chalkboard signs, but I went inside where it was dry.
When I got there, the cafe was full (always a good sign in a small town). The dining room tables was filled, the espresso machine was chugging away behind the counter, and everyone was chatting comfortabley. It had a nice relaxed atmosphere, order at the counter, find a table, wait for your food to be brought out.
There was no fuss. I liked it.
The timber walls went all the way up to the roof, and every inch of them had been signed by visitors. Hundreds of names was scribbled onto the panels. Before we departed, I joined them too.
I squeezed mine in between a family from Auckland and someone’s doodle of a stick-figure sheep.
To begin, we ordered a couple of cappuccinos, served in actual cups, with good foams. It was nothing special: simply good cafe coffee that hit the spot on a rainy, chilly afternoon.
For mains, I ordered some mussels, presented in a black pot with their shells already cracked open in a garlicky broth. The mussels was plump and perfectly cooked, so I made sure to mop up every last drop of broth with the bread. Honestly, it was one of the best mussel pots I’ve eaten from a roadside cafe.
I had the burger; it arrived stacked with a tower of onion rings on top and served with some chips. The burger itself was a good size, nice and juicy with a thick patty, and the onion rings stayed crisp despite being perched atop the meaty pile. This was exactly the type of no-nonsense, filling feed you want after a long drive.
As we cleared our plates, a shaggy dog walked past us on the timber decking, unfazed by the diners or the commotion. It’s that sort of everyone-is-welcome atmosphere that appears to fill Tīrau as a whole.
The food menu ranged from all-day breakfast/brunch to standard cafe fare. There was plenty of choice, so you would always find something you liked. Everything was reasonably priced and generously portioned.
While you won’t spend all day in Tīrau, it’s definitely worth stopping off for if you’re passing by. There’s a laid-back charm to the town that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The cafes are welcoming, and the corrugated-iron animals is fun.
By the time I’d finished I had a full belly and a few photos that always get a laugh when I show them to people. Have you ever stopped in Tīrau, or do you usually just drive straight past on the way south?