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American tourist shares obsession with ordinary Kiwi bathroom features

Author
Sarah Pollok,
Publish Date
Fri, 5 Jul 2024, 3:45pm
The American was inspired to change their bathroom back home after experiencing certain features in New Zealand. Photo / 123rf
The American was inspired to change their bathroom back home after experiencing certain features in New Zealand. Photo / 123rf

American tourist shares obsession with ordinary Kiwi bathroom features

Author
Sarah Pollok,
Publish Date
Fri, 5 Jul 2024, 3:45pm

Tourists are blown away by many things when visiting New Zealand such as our vast, untouched landscapes, laid-back Kiwi attitude and delicious pies.听

However, one听American tourist听who recently visited Aotearoa was moved by something you wouldn鈥檛 see in a听100% Pure New Zealand tourism advertisement; our bathrooms.听

鈥淵ou guys have awesome ideas that I鈥檓 going to install back home!!鈥 the tourist wrote on a Reddit page dedicated to New Zealand.听

The enthusiastic American proceeded to describe three things they loved about New Zealand loos.听

First was a heated towel rack, which they described as 鈥渋nsane!!!鈥.听

Having never used or seen one before, they said it felt so awesome they 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 wait to take a shower just to use a nice warm towel鈥. Thanks to the towel racks, every towel felt like it came right out of the dryer, they added.听

Second were heated toilet seats.听

New Zealand鈥檚 winters weren鈥檛 nearly as bad as winter in the Northern US, the American said, but Kiwis were on to something with their fancy toilet seats. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to get one of these,鈥 they wrote, wondering aloud how it wasn鈥檛 yet a norm in the US.听

The final element of bathroom design they adored was the heaters in the bathroom.听

鈥淓verytime I go to the bathroom the tiles are freezing,鈥 the American complained, adding that 鈥渁 nice heater in the bathroom was awesome to use鈥 in New Zealand.听

The visitor knew their excitement was probably confusing to Kiwis who would consider these things 鈥減retty normal鈥 but said they thought the ideas were 鈥渁wesome鈥.听

Within hours,听the post听had more than 350 likes and 165 comments, as people responded to the unusual praise.听

One Kiwi was quick to reply to the excited American and ensure they didn鈥檛 return home with incorrect assumptions about Aotearoa鈥檚 toilet scene.听

鈥淗eated towel rails are quite common, heaters in bathrooms less common and heated toilet seats aren鈥檛 very common at all,鈥 they clarified.听

The tourist might have encountered the fancy warm seats in AirBnbs that want to impress guests but they certainly weren鈥檛 the norm in Kiwi houses, they added.听

鈥淣ever even heard of a heated toilet seat until reading this,鈥 another person added, while another joked that a 鈥淗eated toilet seat in NZ means your son used the loo before you and spent an hour on his phone鈥.听

The American confirmed they had stayed in AirBnbs in the North and South islands, but wasn鈥檛 bothered as the heated towel racks were their favourite part.听

One person pointed out that heated towel rails weren鈥檛 a New Zealand speciality; lots of countries have them.听

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 funny that a lot of Americans don鈥檛 realise they鈥檙e the odd ones out with a bunch of things,鈥 they commented.听

Many people added that the towel racks weren鈥檛 for comfort but for practicality.听

鈥淗eated towel rails are the norm because it鈥檚 the only way towels ever dry, especially in the winter,鈥 one person explained, with others agreeing they only switch on their rails when the towels need to dry.听

Regarding bathroom heaters, one Kiwi said they have lived in antiquated houses, hostels and 鈥渄ingy student flats鈥 and every place had one.听

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever seen a bathroom without a heater, to the point where I thought it must be part of the building standard,鈥 they wrote.

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