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Katikati Welcome Sign Photo: Supplied
It’s known as ‘mural town’, it's Aotearoa New Zealand’s avocado capital and this week it’s the focus of Culture 101’s regional wrap.
Katikati in the Bay of Plenty is on the Uretara Stream and a hub for arts and culture.
Our Regional Wrap guest, Marit Moon is preparing for an upcoming concert with her group the Katikati Mural Town Singers. Melodic Fusion is at St Paul’s Church on Sunday 28 April at 2pm. The singers are directed by Edwin Randell, a music teacher at Waihi College.
Katikati Mural Town Singers Photo: Supplied
There are more than 80 works of art around the main street: murals, sculptures and carvings. The artwork pays homage to the town’s early Māori and Pākehā residents along with its timber and farming heritage.
Barry - Katikati Sculpture Photo: Supplied
Katikati is also home to the largest collection of haiku’s in public space outside of Japan. The ‘Haiku Pathway’ features boulders inscribed with haiku poems.
The eye-catching museum in the old fire station is hard to miss, and it’s the only museum in the Western Bay of Plenty. It documents the growth of the town with photographs and displays of artefacts.
With four art galleries in town, the Junction theatre, a winery and avocado farm tours, Katikati appears to be brimming with the arts. And if that’s not your thing, fear not, there’s also coffin making.