Horopito - Smash Palace

Horopito Motors, the "only vintage car dismantlers in Australasia", is an iconic set of New Zealand Cinema. The sprawling wrecking yard is the central setting of 'Smash Palace' (1981) directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Bruno Lawrence. The yard also appears briefly in Geoff Murphy's road movie 'Goodbye Pork Pie' (1981). Taika Waititi's 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' (2016) pays homage to this classic kiwi location. The film's finale shootout gives a glimpse of Horopito's incredible jungle of car parts.

Horopito Motors welcomes visitors. For a gold coin donation, you can see some film memorabilia and have a look around the yard. For those cycling the Mountains to Sea Cycle , Smash Palace is a convenient stop off at the end of the Horopito-Ohakune Coach Road section.