A Visit to Entertaining Bulls, NZ
Sightseeing Fun with Shops, Cafes, Meals & More where SH1 Meets SH3
Bulls may be a small NZ town, but it makes up in character what it lacks in size. Visitors are rewarded with a unique and relaxing experience in this friendly community.
If you ever find yourself on New Zealand’s main highway heading north out of Wellington, be on the lookout for a small town with the unusual name of Bulls a couple hours into your trip. Actually, the place will be hard to miss, as it is a brightly colored cluster of businesses around the intersection of SH1 and SH3. Many make this spot a traditional stopping place to take advantage of the multitude of cafes, eateries and quaint shops.
Bulls certainly has a strong sense of character, and the local residents are apparently not too shy about letting it show. Most noticeably, you’ll find rather startling and humorous murals decorating businesses and offices along the town’s main thoroughfare. It seems the people of Bulls (in typical kiwi fashion) have recently come to embrace the fun side of their town name while capitalizing on its innate tourist appeal. Hence you will find a colorful painting of a “consta-bull” on the front of the police station, a cartoon of two “responsi-bulls” on the trash receptacles around town, and a giant wooden “cura-bull” in front of the town’s medical center.
So don’t rush through town on your way up to Mount Taranaki or the high desert road that leads to Lake Taupo—by all means, stop and take a break! Once you cross the Rangitikei River and come into Bulls proper, look for the Windmill Café, the Mothered Goose, the Bull’s Eye Café, or the ever-popular coffee cart in the parking lot on the south side of town. Order a ‘flat white’ to try out a delicious kiwi coffee while you relax, and make sure you say you want it ‘take-away’ so you’ll be able to stroll down Bridge and High Streets for a look around as you sip.
You’ll want to check out the gifts and crafts at the bright green Clever Hands Craft Co-operative and sample the soothing lavender lotions and oils of Scully’s, both on Bridge Street and both featuring local talent and resources. Afford-a-bull’s Antiques Emporium and Trash and Treasure-a-bull (a used book store) are both perfect for browsing and are located at the corner of Bridge and High Streets. Heading west on High Street you’ll find Artifacts, an establishment full of unique paintings, artwork and wooden furniture crafted by local artists. For outdoor fun, head to the south side of town near the bridge, where Barrdroc’s Petting Farm and Café, offers close encounters with alpacas, ponies, lambs and peacocks.
If your stomach starts rumbling during your visit, you’re in luck. Ignore the McDonalds and the Subway and instead head over to the Rat Hole (I know, the name does not inspire confidence, but trust me) for a huge $10 plate of nachos that I guarantee will feed two. Now understand, you are pretty far from Guadalajara or San Antonio or wherever your favorite Mexican restaurant is located, so this will not be your typical plate of nachos (actually, they’re served in a bowl here) but no matter—the kiwi variety is still tasty and satisfying.
For more common kiwi fare, you can opt for a window seat at Jabie’s Doner Kabab and enjoy one of their mouth-watering lamb, falafel, or combo kabobs. Their pita-style breads are soft and fresh, and you can choose from a variety of tasty dressings – just watch out for that waha wera (Maori for “hot mouth”) green chili sauce!
You will certainly find it easy to spend a few pleasurable hours in downtown Bulls while passing through on the way to somewhere else. Or you can stick around, get off the beaten path to get beyond the touristy façade to find some hidden New Zealand treasures and see what Bulls and the southern Rangitikei are really like. Either way, you are sure to find the people and the place…ok, sorry…enjoya-bull.
