Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to local heroes Tim and Neil Finn. There are gold records, original lyrics, Finn memorab-
ilia and oddities such as Neil's form-two exercise book. There's also a fine collection of
Maori
taonga
(treasures), and an excellent display on the Waikato War. A great little mu-
seum.
Rose Garden
(cnr Gorst Ave & Arawata St; 24hr)
The Rose Garden is next to the i-SITE and has 2500
bushes and 51 varieties with fabulously fruity names like Lady Gay and Sexy Rexy. The
roses usually bloom from November to May.
GARDENS
TE AWAMUTU'S SACRED SOUND
In the opening lines of Crowded House's first single
Mean to Me
, Neil Finn single-handedly raised his sleepy
home town, Te Awamutu, to international attention. It wasn't the first time it had provided inspiration - Split Enz
songs
Haul Away
and
Kia Kaha
, with Neil's big bro Tim, include similar references.
Despite NZ's brilliant songwriting brothers being far from the height of their fame, Finn devotees continue to
make the pilgrimage to Te Awamutu. Ask at the i-SITE about Finn postage stamps and the interesting scrapbook
focused on the brothers' achievements.
Sleeping
Rosetown Motel
( 07-871 5779, 0800 767 386;
www.rosetownmotel.co.nz
;
844 Kihikihi Rd; d $120-145; )
The older-
style units at Rosetown have kitchens, new linen and TVs, and share a spa. A solid choice
for a straight-up small-town sleep.
MOTEL
$$
Eating
Walton St Coffee
(
www.facebook.com/WaltonStreetCollective
;
3 Walton St; snacks $5-10; 6.30am-2pm Mon-Fri)
In a rus-
tic building with exposed beams and retro furniture, this combo of cafe, gallery and per-
formance space is Te Awamutu's top spot for a coffee. There's a strong focus on organic
and gluten free with the food.
CAFE
$
SUSHI
$
Sugoi Sushi
