Tuesday 23 April 2019

Coffee in Eutopia

One of the many great things about New Zealand is the individualism in buildings. Some are designed and built by the famous like the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa and others are just the imaginings of ordinary folk.

We visited a newly refurbished cafe in Kaiwaka on our drive up to Ahipara from Auckland. Eutopia has taken five years to renovate from its previous incarnation as a boat to a wonderful Hundertwasseresque treasure trove.

There are not many words (or sewing) to this post only photographs of our amazing surroundings. Not even pictures of our lunch because we were far too hungry to think about taking pictures due to a few travel challenges, no breakfast and not arriving at Eutopia for lunch until 2pm. Plus I never really understood the point of taking photographs of your meal and showing others. In case you are wondering lunch was delicious as was the coffee, so it isn't only pretty scenery that make stopping at Eutopia worthwhile. A recommended stop off point for the hungry or the curious.

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Outfit of the day: Horizontal Hold Victory trench, self drafted DKNY leggings, Moochi dress and
United Nude Issey Miyake Step shoes

The exterior


Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Entrance archway presided over by a large seagull
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Exterior wall and a better view of the seagull
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
The exterior wall with some of its fancy finials
Cafe Eutopia, Kaiwaka New Zealand in 2014
Eutopia in the past (2014) with the boat exterior, still watched over by the seagull
Photo from the Eutopia Facebook page

The interior


Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Street facing courtyard
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Entrance courtyard facing the kitchen
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Entrance courtyard by the external wall
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Entrance courtyard facing the external wall
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Booth mural painted by Lori Salisbury
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Glorious mural in one of the booths
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
The fountain
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Help yourself to a knife and fork!
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
View of the fountain from the unfinished courtyard

The unique carpentry

No boring wooden doors here - channelling the Hobbiton vibe.

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
The ordering counter with the door to the kitchen on the right

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

The swanky bathrooms

Not quite up to the level of opulence of the Hundertwasser toilets but a lot more fancy than your average bathroom and not just because it included a urinal!

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

The unfinished courtyard

The new look café has been five years in the making and there are still a few unfinished areas. The courtyard we sat in (all on our own) is definitely a work in progress with its unfinished booth and slight building site appearance but it still has some of the quirky furniture and carved plaster walls

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Unfinished booth on the left leading through to the entrance courtyard in the middle
Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia

Creates Sew Slow: Coffee in Eutopia
Wall carving by Marijke Valkenburg

2 comments:

  1. The Horizontal Hold Victory Trench looks very much at home. Would love to visit Eutopia some day.

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    Replies
    1. It was truly an amazing place with the creativity and especially as the food and coffee were good. I'm sure you'll get here one day and the cafe was busy enough to still be here too.

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