Waikato Region
Waikato region, translated from Maori as “flowing water”, is actually a relaxed, rural retreat. There are many little villages tucked amongst the hills, which can be visited. The main city of the Waikato region is Hamilton.
Hamilton is known for its vibrant culture and gardens. Additional towns in the region are Raglan, Tokoroa, Te Awamutu and Cambridge, each populated by between 10,000 and 15,000 people. These are small and quiet places where you can relax, take a walk and enjoy beautiful nature.
photo by PhillipC
Most notable here is the town of Raglan, which is best known for its surf. Eight kilometers from the Raglan township is a series of surf breaks including Indicators, Whale Bay, and Manu Bay. By the way, Manu Bay was featured in the 1966 movie “The Endless Summer”.
In addition to the surf, annual Raglan Festival of Art is held in the Raglan Town Hall and the Raglan Old School Art Ceter.
Scenic Reserves of Waikato Region
There are two scenic reserves that you can visit -
Maungakawa Scenic Reserve
You can walk there through native forest and visit Gudex Memorial Park, in addition there are two tracks in the reserve, the 40 minute walk to Maungakawa Road and a shorter 20 minute loop walk.
Maungakawa Scenic Reserve is 9 km and approximately 15 minutes drive from Cambridge.
Hakarimata Scenic Reserve
Located near Ngaruawahia it is a great place to see kauri, especially the large kauri on the Kauri Loop Track. There are four walks in the Hakarimata Scenic Reserve:
- The Waterworks Track
Leaves from Brownlee Avenue and passes through attractive bush and alongside Mangarata Stream on the way to an old dam.
- The Hakarimata Trig walk
Continues from the Waterworks Walk and goes from Brownlee Avenue to the Hakarimata Trig
- Hakarimata Walkway
Is one of the first walkways opened in New Zealand.
- Kauri Loop Track
This well formed track offers spectacular views, beautiful bush and some of the largest kauri trees in the Waikato.
While exploring the Waikato Region you might also want to visit the Pirongia Forest Park, which is pretty close to Hamilton city. Its most widely recognized landmark is Mt. Pirongia reaches 959 meters in height.
photo by PhillipC
And I almost forgot to mention the Waikato River, which is the longest river in New Zealand! It runs for 425 kilometers from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, which is New Zealand’s largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake’s northeastern edge, creates the Huka Falls, then flows through the Waikato Plains just to empty into the Tasman Sea at Port Waikato.
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