The Waikato region is a beautiful and prosperous part of New Zealand, with Hamilton, its prime city, just an hour and a half from Auckland Airport. Hamilton has every amenity you would care for, with many excellent schools, one of the top universities in New Zealand, numerous medical centres, the main regional hospital, cinemas, gardens and parks and a huge number of restaurants and hotels. It is a new base for the V8 motor racing circuit, and nearby Mystery Creek hosts the annual field days event.
Hamilton is within reach of many tourist attractions, including the thermal parks and spas around Rotorua; Cambridge, the city of trees; the Waitomo caves with their glow-worms and leisure facilities such as black water rafting; the famous surf beaches of Raglan, about 40 minutes away; or the safe white sand family beaches of the east coast about two hours away. The ski slopes of the central plateau are only three hours' drive away. The Waikato is the Shire in the film Lord of the Rings, and in nearby Matamata you can still see parts of the Hobbiton film set. Several well known vineyards are within an hour of the city centre.
Photos of Hamilton and the Central North Island
