DescriptionKawakawa developed as a service town when coal was found there in the 1860s, but coal mining ceased in the early 20th century. The town is named after the Kawakawa shrub.
The town is known as "Train Town", because the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway runs down the middle of its main street on the former Opua Branch railway line.
In the early 1800s a flaxmilling industry was established, and in 1861 they discovered a coal seam.
The town is famous for its Hundertwasser toilet block, designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who was a resident of the town from 1975 until his death in 2000.
The Kawiti glowworm caves at nearby Waiomio are also an attraction.
Booklet
Newspaper Clipping
Document
Kawakawa. Far North District Libraries Recollect, accessed 28/04/2026, https://fndclibraries.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/2234
