Tirau is a very cute little town, right in the middle of stunning Hobbit country near the set of the Lord of the Rings movies. But Tirau isn’t just the town you pass through on your way to the main attractions as it may seem on the map. For us it was the main attraction. Tirau you see, has gone corrugated-iron art crazy. The whole town is covered in it. Most businesses use it for their signs and several of the buildings are even made entirely of it. They have shaped and coloured it into all sorts of fun things. For example, the tourism office is in a building that looks like a giant dog, which is sitting right next to a giant sheep building.
We walked all the way up the hill and ended up at Beanz & Machines Café so that Rich could get himself a really good coffee. I had no expectations for the hot chocolate and again got confirmation that some of the worst hot chocolates come from the best coffee shops. I only had a few sips because it was so incredibly sweet. But the barista was the real deal. Not only did he have a fantastic Kiwi accent but he made some really beautiful designs on both Rich’s coffee and my hot chocolate.
Verdict: I took more pictures of my hot chocolate in the end then I took sips, but apparently the coffee is great and Tirau is definitely worth the stop. Beanz & Machines Café, Tirau, New Zealand
