PHOTO: L&P Bottle. SUPPLIED TRADE ME
Voting is Open! Trade Me Property People’s Choicest finalists announced
The nominations are in and the voting begins – Trade Me Property have announced the finalists for the inaugural People’s Choicest awards, a chance to celebrate everyday life in New Zealand. The Trade Me Property People’s Choicest Awards has seven categories: Choicest Suburb, Playground, Bush (shrub or tree), Dairy, Public Toilet, Landmark and Local Legend. Finalists were selected based on the number of nominations received.
Trade Me Property Customer Director Gavin Lloyd says it’s been awesome to see the nominations roll in from Kiwi all over Aotearoa. “There’s been a real variety of nominations, from classic Kiwi icons like the beloved L&P bottle for Choicest Landmark, and the biggest and cheapest ice creams seem to be a prerequisite for the Choicest Dairy, but we’ve also seen some surprises like Morrinsville, Papamoa and Southshore coming through for Choicest Suburb.”
Gavin Lloyd says the People Choicest Awards are designed to celebrate the best spots shaping Kiwi communities. “At Trade Me Property we know that home isn’t just about where you sleep, it’s about how you live,” he said. “By highlighting some of our most-loved local icons, we hope to inspire Kiwi to imagine new possibilities for how they could live, with every street, suburb and region having potential.”
Choicest Suburb
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is out and the regions are in, according to nominations for Aotearoa’s Choicest Suburb. Morrinsville (located in Waikato, population around 10,000), Papamoa (a suburb of Tauranga, population around 38,000) and Southshore (Christchurch, population around 1000) are the finalists for this category. Read more about these suburbs here.
Choicest Playground
Will brand-new in Timaru take the crown of Choicest Playground with C-Play (2023), believed to be the largest playground in the Southern Hemisphere, or will the nostalgic charm of Whanganui’s Kowhai Park (1950s) capture the hearts of Kiwi all over New Zealand? They’ll be competing with the popular Margaret Mahy Playground in Christchurch (2015), which can be played on 24/7 due to its impressive lighting at night.
Choicest Bush
Whether it’s a peaceful wander, a challenging adventure, or simply just taking in nature, this playful category celebrates the bush us Kiwi can’t get enough of. Urban sanctuaries have topped this category. Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush is a nature escape in Poneke Wellington, with nominators citing its proximity to the city, variety of walking tracks and attractive picnic area. But it might have tough competition from Auckland’s hidden gem Kauri Glen Reserve, which features a stunning treetop boardwalk 18 meters above the ground. They’re up against Orokonui Ecosanctuary, a community-led, not-for-profit conservation project, boasting native flora and fauna and described by nominators as ‘the beating green heart of Dunedin’.
Aotearoa’s Choicest Dairy
Ice scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Three iconic Kiwi dairies have been named as finalists in Trade Me Property’s Peoples Choicest Awards – Dunedin’s Rob Roy Dairy, New Plymouth’s Iona Dairy and Darfield Dairy in Canterbury, all nominated for their generous-sized ice-creams.
Choicest Landmark
Tried and true Kiwi classics have dominated nominations for this category. Recognisable from a distance, these are the landmarks that tell you, “Yep, you’re in New Zealand”, and it’s time for these landmarks to have their moment to shine. The finalists for the Choicest Landmark in New Zealand are, The Sky Tower (1997) Auckland, Paeroa’s L&P Bottle (1968) and the Ohakune Carrot (1985).
Choicest Loo
The finalists for the Choicest Public Toilets in New Zealand are the Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa, Matakana Public Toilets, and Taupo’s Superloo. Built in 1999, the Hundertwasser toilets are New Zealand’s most photographed public toilet, attracting around 250,000 visitors a year. It has been officially declared a Category 1 historic place of significance, despite being just 25 years old. It features tough competition from the serene and beautiful Matakana Public Toilets, described by one visitor as “a bit like going to the bathroom in a church,” and Taupo’s Superloo, which offers a hot shower with shampoo and towels for $5.
Local Legend
“The Local Legend! This is one of my favourite categories,” says Gavin Lloyd. “We know there are so many amazing Kiwi out there doing the mahi every single day and we’re stoked to be able to recognise these community heroes, as voted by locals.”
There are two finalists for Local Legend: Retiree Taka Peters has been rescuing food and redistributing it to people in need on Auckland’s North Shore for years. The excess food comes from catering companies that would otherwise be thrown out and go to landfill. “Taka Peters is a legend in the Beach Haven and Northcote shops,” said nominators. “He’s completely judgment free.”
Zumba instructor Jenniene Flemming (or Coach J as she is called) has been nominated for bringing joy to her South Auckland community through her positive, uplifting and supportive Zumba classes. She runs two free community classes a week in conjunction with community groups. “Coach J advocates for mental health and firmly believes exercise is a great way to help with the pressures of society,” said one nominator. “She greets you with a smile and encourages you to push yourself out of your comfort zone,” said another.
Voting is now open and can be made online here https://www.trademe.co.