Auckland to Waihi

It stands seven metres tall, at the east end of Paeroa, with spruced up, freshly painted Lemon & Paeroa livery. Many people passing through on SH2 stop, walk around it and take a picture before driving off. Paeroa spring water was once mixed with lemon to make Lemon & Paeroa fizzy drink, but production has long since migrated to Auckland. The iconic 1967 bottle proudly lives on and is one of the big things that this small town uses to make a mark.

While I'm standing admiring the bottle, a bogan from the tyre shop across the road rides a quad bike like a motorcycle. He steers it in tight circles, two wheels on the ground, two high in the air, revving noisily and spraying metal.