Katikati Murals

About | Katikati Murals

Katikati, 35min from Tauranga, is also known as mural town and you’ll soon find out why as you pass through. Go for a Katikati Mural walk down Main Road which runs through town and find the town’s history displayed beautifully on the side of buildings.

The kids will enjoy finding and spotting the murals as they stroll through town, discovering Katikatis history and discussing what they think the murals might portray. It’s also a great way to get to know the area, find out where everything is and perhaps stop in for a treat or a little shop.

Find the Katikati mural map online (also, if a certain mural captivates your interest, you can look it up and find out more about it there as well) or drop into the Information Centre/Arts Junction before you go to find out where they all are. But even if you don’t have a map, finding the murals aren’t hard, just walk down Main Road – it won’t be hard to find a good bunch of them.

If you’re on a mission and want to see all of the amazing Katikati Murals, why not make a little checklist that the kids can check off on their way through town to make it more fun!

History

You’ll find Katikati’s history, not in a museum, but by strolling through town. The town’s open-air artworks are what makes Katikati unique and special.

Katikati relied on dairy farming and kiwifruit yields but in the 1990’s they were struggling to make ends meet. A bunch of volunteers came together with a vision to help lift the spirits of their local community and attract visitors they started to paint murals, portraying the town’s history onto the walls of commercial buildings.

Murals started popping up all around town and sculpture’s, too. Barry, who you’ll find leisurely sitting reading his newspaper, is one of the most photographed pieces of art in town.

There are now over 65 colourful murals and a number of different sculptures that bring Katikati’s unique story to you.

Nearby

Western Bay Museum

Katikati Bird Gardens

Haiku Pathway

Sapphire Springs Holiday Park & Thermal Pools

Location

Start at the Information Centre/Arts Junction and grab a map, then wander up and down Main Road.

Photos

We didn’t even see half of the murals in town, there was just so many, but spent some lovely time walking up and down Main Road and loved what we saw. You can discover a lot of the Katikati Murals over just a short walk, we had some dinner in town then went for a nice stroll down the road when most people had done their shopping and by then gone home so other than a few diners enjoy their tea, we were able to roam the place at our leisure.