Pair assault visitors at Kawakawa's iconic toilets | Northland News | Local News in Northland

Police are calling for help tracking down a couple who bashed and robbed a group of visitors to Kawakawa's world-famous Hundertwasser toilets.

Constable Jack Raitt, of the Kawakawa police, said a group of Auckland University students - three women and two men - were on a "scavenger hunt" of Northland last week when the attack occurred.

They arrived in Kawakawa about 5.50pm last Tuesday, where one of their tasks was get a photo in front of the town's star attraction that has made it famous around the globe - the Hundertwasser toilets.

However, while they were taking a photo, they were approached by a man and woman, who started to hassle and verbally abuse them, Mr Raitt said.

Both asked the group, "What are you doing in our town?", before the man held one of the male victims up by his T-shirt and punched him in the head.

Meanwhile, the woman took the camera from one of the female students and pushed another to the ground, where she kicked her several times.

She then turned her attention to the last female in the group and punched her twice in the head.

The male offender then tried to punch the second male student, which was followed by a scuffle on the ground, Mr Raitt said.

The offenders left in an older-style grey or white minivan, possibly a Mazda, in the direction of the State Highway 1/SH11 intersection at Pakaraka.

One was described as a male Maori, about 18 to 20-years-old, skinny and with short black hair. The other was a 16 to 18-year-old female Maori, also described as skinny, with long black hair tied up in a pony tail.

The silver-coloured Panasonic Lumix TZ7 camera, valued at $600, is still missing.

Mr Raitt urged anyone who saw the attack, or who could help identify the man and woman involved, to call him at the Kawakawa station on (09) 404 3150 or tips can be made to the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.

- The internationally renowned Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) was born in Austria but spent the last 20 years of his life happily near Kawakawa. He designed the unique toilets, which have turned the once depressed town into a tourist magnet.