What to See & Do in Waikato
The Waikato region has everything from magnificent parks and gardens, and the glow worm caves in Waitomo. Take a break in the rolling countryside of this region to visit the stunning Bridal Veil Falls, Hobbiton, the award-winning Hamilton Gardens and Hamilton Zoo. Enjoy world-class surfing at Raglan or visit one of the many farmers markets. Take a walk through native forest for stunning vistas, or fish for trout in the Waikato River with Winter being the best time due to clearer waters.
Hamilton Gardens – What was the city’s waste disposal site, the Hamilton Gardens are the most visited tourist attraction in Waikato. The gardens are open every day and entry is free. The 54-hectare park is based on the banks of the Waikato River and includes enclosed gardens, open lawns, a lake, a nursery, a convention centre and the Hamilton East Cemetery. Additional features of the gardens include a lake walkway and a waterfall lookout. The gardens play host to many events, including the signature Pacific Rose Bowl Festival in November, the National Painting and Printmaking Awards in February, the Great Pumpkin Carnival in March, the Hamilton Fringe Festival in late March, and Stations of the Cross before Easter.
Hamilton Zoo – The North Islands largest zoo houses over 600 animals featuring a walk-through aviary, plus a cafe & picnic areas. This well-established Zoo is home to animals across the key species: Mammals, Reptiles, Amphbians, Birds. You'll encounter animals native to New Zealand such as the Tuatara, to exotic animals such as the Sumatran Tiger, White Rhino and Monkeys.
Waitomo Caves - Known for its extensive underground cave systems, the Waitomo Caves house thousands of glow-worms which light up the Glowworm Caves. The vast Ruakuri Cave features waterfalls and limestone formations. West, Mangapohue Natural Bridge is a high limestone arch over Mangapohue Stream. Northeast of the village, Otorohanga Kiwi House shelters several species Kiwi.
Hobbiton Movie Set - On the picturesque private Matamata farmland you can visit the Hobbiton Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit film trilogies in a fascinating 2-hour Guided Tour. The set has been completely rebuilt for The Hobbit and will remain as it was seen in these films and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. During your Tour you will see Hobbit Holes, The Green Dragon Inn, The Mill, double arched bridge and other structures and gardens built for the films.
Bridal Veil Falls – Just 15 minutes drive from Raglan, the spectacular 55-metre-high Bridal Veil Falls, also known as the Waireinga Falls is a popular Waikato walking track. The Bridal Veil Falls walk is an easy 10 minute walk through native bush, following the Pakoka River for most of the way, to two viewing platforms at the top, both providing stunning vistas and ample photo opportunities of the plunging white falls flanked by grey rock and green bush. Looking down to the base of the waterfall, you will see soft sandstone rocks, worn away by the water to form a large amphitheatre. A steep set of steps leads down to the bottom of the falls. From here there is another magnificent view, directly across the pool and up at the falls.
The Blue Spring at Te Waihou Walkway – Located near the town of Putaruru, The 3 hour return walk to the springs follows a track alongside the Waihou River, through wetlands, across rolling pastoral land and features views of small waterfalls, native bush and the famous Blue Spring with glimpses of trout along the way. The Blue Spring at Te Waihou Walkway is internationally acclaimed with water so pure it supplies around 60% of New Zealand’s bottled water. The spring is fed from the Mamaku Plateau where the water takes up to 100 years to filter through; the resulting water is so pure and clean that it produces a beautiful blue colour while being virtually clear.
The Waikato River - The Waikato River is New Zealand’s longest river at 425 kilometres in length. It drains Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake, creates the Huka Falls and then flows northwest, through the Waikato Plains. The Waikato River and its hydro lakes are home to at least 19 types of native fish and 10 types of introduced fish. The introduced species include rainbow and brown trout providing what has been called "the finest fly-fishing in the world". Activities on the river include boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, jet boating, jet skiing, white water rafting and riverside walks.
Fishing - Trout fishing in the Waikato can be productive throughout the year but the best fishing is in the winter months when water clarity is high due to the decline in summer algal growth. Early morning and the first hour or so after dusk are usually the most productive times to fish, but fish can be caught throughout the day.
Raglan - Raglan is a famous surf beach and holiday destination. The small beachside town located 48 km west of Hamilton. It is known for its surfing, and volcanic black sand beaches and boasts a number of unique accommodation options.
Local Produce - One of the richest agricultural and pastoral areas of the world, the Waikato is home to New Zealand’s famous dairy and thoroughbred horse racing industries and base for many agri-businesses and research institutes. The rich farming and agricultural heartland of the Hamilton & Waikato region provides the ideal base for award-winning local fare, and delicious foodie finds.
Waikato Farmers Markets – The Hamilton and the Cambridge weekend Farmers' Markets showcase what wonderful products the Waikato has to offer and are thriving and growing every year. Many of the original stallholders are still with the market, with over 60 members of the markets and many seasonal stallholders - all selling delicious locally grown farm produce and food products! The Cambridge market is open every Saturday from 8am till noon, and the Hamilton market us open every Sunday from 8am till noon.
Craft Breweries - Craft beer enthusiasts are increasingly spoilt for choice in the Waikato region, with established brewers and new specialist beer bars offering a range of local brews to rival any in the country.
