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New Zealand > Waikato
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Matamata
By Jessica Lloyd
With 12,000 residents, Matamata is quite a large rural town at the base of
the Kaimai Ranges, south of Hamilton. It is an important bloodstock region,
and farming is the basis for its existence. It is, however, large enough to
have regular events and a more than just floating social calendar. Matamata
is thriving, as it has done for many years because there is no alternative.
Things to do in Matamata
Hobbiton Movie Set Tours are interesting and fun for kids, and Wairere Falls
are a nice place to stop off to take the obligatory photographs and ‘ooh’
and ‘aah’. Firth Tower Museum and the Opal Hot Springs are also places worth
taking a look at. There are a pleasant range of eats and drinks here, with
arts and crafts as well. The annual Matamata Festival of Flowers, live music
at the Matamata Club, and Oraka Deer Park and Restaurant all provide
entertaining surrounds. There is also a golf club.
Morrinsville
This small town, with a population of just over 6000, is a farming base
about 30 minutes from Hamilton. It is there to serve the agricultural
community, nothing more, nothing less. In saying this, it does have many
interesting people residing here, and a lot of art and crafts. The town is
well kept, and looks as if someone does actually care about it. The main
street has been done up in recent years to reflect a growing pride in the
town.
Things to do in Morrinsville
There are numerous gardens to stroll through, parks and reserves, a museum,
a pool, golf, tramping and bushwalks, horse riding, and of course
restaurants and cafes. Nearby in Tauwhare (between Hamilton and Morrinsville),
there is the Waitakaruru Arboretum and Sculpture Park. This old quarry has
been replaced with water features, gardens and 60-odd sculptures. It really
is a treasure and well worth a visit if you are in the area.
Ngaruawahia
This small but growing settlement of about 4,000 residents is situated at
the junction of the Waikato and Waipa Rivers, in the Waikato basin. The
North Island Main Trunk railway and State Highway 1 run through this town.
Hamilton is about 19km to the northwest. This area is a dairy farming
centre, and Ngaruawahia is the service and distribution centre for not only
dairy, but all sorts of meat and produce.
Things to do in Ngaruawahia
There is Taupiri Mountain, 8km northeast of Ngaruawahia. This is an old pa
site, and a sacred burial ground for Waikato Maori, including some royalty.
Hakarimata Reserve has native trees, and several walking tracks.
Pukemokemoke Reserve has great views of Mt Karioi and Mt Ruapehu. Nikau Cave
is a limestone cave with glow worms, accessible via a private farm. The
owners provide tours. Waingaro Hot Springs 23km west of Ngaruawahia has four
thermal mineral pools, with New Zealand’s longest open air hot water hydro
slide, and bumper boats, etc.
Kawhia
The farming and fishing community is supported by Kawhia, a town of just 650
people on the west coast of New Zealand. Just over an hours drive from
Hamilton, Kawhia is an attraction in itself, but is also not too far from
quite a few other beautiful places. Tucked into a placid harbour, Kawhia is
isolated, with a sleepy air about it. With long stretches of sandy beaches,
rocky shores and hot springs, Kawhia is a diverse environment which caters
to a wide range of human and wildlife activities. Most of all, it is a place
to relax and unwind. Kawhia is the final spiritual resting place of Tainui,
and the ancestral waka (canoe).
Things to do in Kawhia
Sit in your own self-dug hot pool in the black sand on Ocean Beach. Te Puia
Springs bubble up here through the sand. Gather shellfish at low tide, or go
deep-sea fishing further out. All water activities are encouraged here apart
from surfing – there is none. There is a Kai (Maori food) Festival, and in
January, watch the five-oared, 11 metre long whaleboats compete in the
regattas with three of the original boats from the 1800’s. With bushwalks,
water sports, hot springs, eels and horse treks at the disposal of visitors
it would be hard to have a bad time here.
Tirau
With the ‘big dog and the big sheep’ as the main focal points on entering
Tirau, you put two and two together; Tirau is about farming. Not only that,
Tirau has made itself stand out from the crowd of small farming towns in the
Waikato by making itself interesting to look at. Most people probably only
drive through Tirau, but it is certainly a good place to stop and have a
look if you are interested in small town New Zealand with a twist. Unique
shops, cafes, and attractions are stamped in place along the main road
(SH1). This interesting little town used to be known as Oxford, and is
widely known as an antique centre.
Things to do in Tirau
Trout fishing, golfing, and a visit to Oraka Deer Park and Restaurant are in
order! You can also go white water rafting, or just take a wander down town
and see what you can find. Tirau is lucky in a sense, because it has the
main road traffic constantly flowing through, keeping not just the tourist
dollars rolling in, but the dollars of New Zealanders on their way from A to
B. It is actually an attractive place to stop even if it’s just for a toilet
break and to take a photo of the big dog and the big sheep. They are
impressive! There may be a Shepard in there somewhere too.
Tokoroa
With around 13,000 residents, Tokoroa is a happening little town smack bang
in between Hamilton and Taupo. It is close to many other tourist
attractions, though it is not the most exciting place on earth. There are
loads of forests all around, and lakes and rivers, making it a great outdoor
recreational base. There are also many Maori legends associated with this
area. Tokoroa has the largest concentration of Pacific peoples outside of
Auckland and Wellington. The main agricultural activities are sheep and
dairy, but forestry is the most important industry here.
Things to do in Tokoroa
The Talking Poles of Tokoroa are famous, and there has been some warring
over them in the past. They are Maori carvings, done by local people,
standing to attention all around the town. Each pole has significance.
Colson’s Hill Lookout has great views over the mountains, and Mt Ruapehu’s
snow capped top is visible on a good day. There are bush reserves nearby,
though you may need a safety permit to enter Carter Holt Harvey forests but
these are easily obtainable and are free. There are three hydro lakes within
25 minutes of Tokoroa, which are great for all kinds of water sports and
outdoor recreation activities. Tokoroa also has a world class mountain bike
track, with annual motor cross, karting and drag racing events.
Raglan
With world class surfing beaches, Raglan is a very popular getaway spot in
New Zealand. It is small and quaint and colourful, but not spoilt. Well, not
yet anyway. With only 3,000 permanent residents, this town swells in the
summertime as city dwellers itch to get into the sand and surf. 50km west of
Hamilton out in the boondocks, there is plenty to do and see around this
area. This place is quite historical too, so if you are a history buff, you
will find interesting things to peer into and read about.
Things to do in Raglan
Why, surf of course! If you don’t know how, then you can learn. Mt Karioi, a
dormant volcano, stands loudly in the background, and there are reserves and
parks to investigate by foot, bike or horse. There are many art and craft
shops to check out, with a high standard of work in them – artists love this
place. With a few bars and restaurants/cafes to wine and dine in, summer is
a great time to visit this beautiful little holiday village though the
weather never stops surfers. The surfing is top notch, and so is the
atmosphere. The SoundSplash Festival is on every year on Waitangi weekend,
with reggae and roots to chill out to when the summer riots are over.
Te Awamutu
This 9,000 strong town is situated on the banks of the Mangapiko River,
which is part of the Waipa River, 30km south of Hamilton. Te Awamutu’s sole
claim to fame is the famous Finn Brothers (Crowded House and Split Enz, plus
many solo albums) who are from this teensy tiny little town. Te Awamutu is
very picturesque, with elegant rose gardens, parks and walks.
Things to do in Te Awamutu
Bushwalking and outdoor recreation are normally the order of the day, like
the rest of the Waikato region. With a few lakes and rivers to choose from,
trout fishing is always a good option. The Waipa Networks Rose and Cultural
Festival runs for about two weeks annually, and the Lifestyles Craft Fair is
held in November. The Lions Club of Te Awamutu Food and Wine Festival perks
the place up annually in March, and each year Pride of Te Awamutu Awards
recognise those who achieve. There is also a museum which has a large range
of artefacts from the area.
Waitomo
The most famous thing about Waitomo is the Caves. They are a major tourist
attraction in New Zealand, and most visitors to this country wind up there
at some point. That is, of course, because they are absolutely magnificent.
With a small permanent population held up by the tourism to the caves,
Waitomo is an interesting place to visit but once you’ve done your deeds,
there is nothing else to do but watch grass grow.
Things to do in Waitomo
If a bit of black water rafting and glow worming sounds like fun to you,
then stop at Waitomo Caves. With all sorts of interesting activities here,
this little New Zealand treasure is worth every cent you will spend to see,
hear, smell, taste and feel the deep underground. The limestone caves are
adorned with huge stalagmites and stalactites in various stages of growth,
and amazing glow worm displays which you view from inside a wetsuit,
squished into a black rubber tube. With the lamp on your head, down you go
into the cold underground stream with your expert guide helping you every
step of the way. The experience is one of a kind, and definitely worth
making the effort. You can also go abseiling, horse riding, quad-biking and
walk nature trails. In the open air, there is lush farmland dotted with
sheep, and clean air with nothing around to bother you much except tourists
and the odd fly.
Otorohanga
With the self-imposed title of ‘Kiwiana Captial of New Zealand’ you have to
wonder what they have up their sleeves. With buzzy bees, gumboots and black
singlets, sheep, and good ol’ pavlova on every café shelf, this little town
is trying its best to make something of itself. One would hope they included
jandals and socks in that lot. Otorohanga is the home of Kiwi House, our
largest and best Kiwi enclosure. Waitomo Caves are close by, and Otorohanga
is normally a popular and competing destination (with Te Kuiti) for resting
weary muscles after a hard days adventuring in the caves. If you have to
choose, Otorohanga is probably a more interesting option.
Things to do in Otorohanga
The Kiwiana Festival is on in March every year, and has music,
entertainment, games, animals, arts and crafts and a lot else Kiwi. Mostly
you just walk around and look at stuff and learn about New Zealand, from
things like the origins of our national flag to Edmunds baking powder. Kiwi
Iconsville – Otorohanga. They have made the mundane seem interesting…sort
of. If learning about sheep and singlets doesn’t appeal, Kiwi House is still
worth looking at, to see what our national bird actually looks like in the
flesh – because if you are like most other New Zealanders, the nearest you
have ever been to a kiwi is here, in Otorohanga.
Te Kuiti
78km from Hamilton, Te Kuiti is famous for its sheep shearing. Not far from
Waitomo, Te Kuiti provides services and a rest stop for travellers going in
both directions. Te Kuiti is home to just over 4,000 people and is the
service centre for the local farming community.
Things to do in Te Kuiti
Go back to Waitomo Caves! There really isn’t much to do in Te Kuiti bar
eating and drinking and sleeping. It is a pleasant stopover place, but you
won’t find very many things to stimulate and titillate, and you may not want
any because the Caves are enough to tire you out.
Putararu
This is the sister town of Tokoroa, and the two are often lumped in
together. This town is covered in large detailed murals, and the mosaics on
the footpath give it a very unique and colourful flavour. The art isn’t
pointless either, all of it tells a story or depicts life in the area.
Putararu is also the source for over 70% of New Zealands bottled spring
water, including popular brand Pump. This cute little place is right on the
tourist route from Waitomo to Rotorua, which keeps it busy. This town is in
between Tokoroa and Tirau, on State Highway 1. It is very close to Lake
Arapuni on the Waikato River.
Things to do in Putaruru
Outdoors rules here. Take your pick. There are loads of walks, water sports,
horse riding and trout fishing. The national woodturning exhibition is held
here, known as TurNZ. This exhibition produces some very beautiful woodwork,
and is worth stopping in for. There is an annual Spring into Summer
Festival, which includes sporting and cultural events over a three week
period. In February, Tatou Tatou is held, New Zealand’s largest mixed team
touch rugby tournament. The huge waterpark is also a fun interlude, with
over 5000 native plants on the grounds and very interesting pools and
displays. There are loads of great fishing spots, with over 20 rivers within
a 20km radius of the town.
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