Hokitika is a compact, culturally rich town on New Zealand's South Island West Coast, where rugged natural landscapes, a gold-rush heritage, and a thriving arts and crafts scene combine to create a deeply rewarding and distinctly off-the-beaten-track destination.
New Zealand: Giant metal dog and sheep ice-cream store.
During a tour around the USA in 2007 / 2008, I had got attached to visiting roadside attractions such as 80 foot high Holstein cows and 40 foot long otters. These tended to be the creation of desperate individuals trying to attract tourists to remote and desolate locations, primarily in the mid-western States.
Well in Tirau, New Zealand, some enterprising locals had similar intentions. Using their ingenuity, corrugated steel and paint they created two buildings, one shaped like a sheep and another like a dog. Much to my delight, the corrugated steel dog housed an ice cream store that served the most amazing creamy honey and fig ice cream. Yum!
