The Top 10 Things to Do Around Hamilton

There’s a certain conversation with which anyone who’s lived in Hamilton for more than five minutes is familiar. A friend is visiting – or, more likely, passing through – and they ask, “So, what is there to do around here?”

Inevitably, the Hamiltonian squirms, knowing full-well that there’s really only one thing worth doing in Hamilton. “I don’t know,” they say. “Visit the Gardens?”

It’s a conversation so ubiquitous that I turned it into a Twelfth Night spoof for a show we did. You know that bit at the beginning of the play, when Viola struggles ashore after being shipwrecked and says, “What country, friends, is this?”

“This is Illyria, lady,” the ship’s captain replies.

“What should I do in Illyria?” she laments.

You get the idea. Two of my friends and fellow cast members bravely volunteered to act it out at Hamilton’s only beach. (Yes, it does have one, although it is, admittedly, somewhat optimistically named.) They immersed themselves in the wintry waters of the Waikato, whilst I filmed them, a little guiltily, from within the warmth of my hoody.

Here’s the result, by the way, starring Hannah Grant and Ross MacLeod:

It got a laugh from the locals who saw it – a conversation they all knew and dreaded! As a travel writer, I get it even more than the average Hamiltonian, because I should know. I should have some special insight; some hidden gem to reveal. More often than not, I find myself scrolling helplessly through this very blog, trying to remember the places I’ve been around Hamilton.

The last time this happened, just a few days ago, I realised I should make things easier for myself – and others – by compiling a list of the top ten places to go around Hamilton. So, here it is:

1) The Gardens

The Hamilton Gardens genuinely are wonderful. They won some international garden of the year award a few years ago. They’re imaginative and magical, like many little pockets of paradise, each one differently themed. As well as the more traditional gardens, such as a Japanese one and a herb one, there are gardens dedicated to themes such as surrealism, and various historical ideals. I love going there to write, having my pick of exciting settings – and they’re completely free!

2) The Zoo

Hamilton Zoo is surprisingly brilliant. People tend to dismiss it, assuming it can’t be as good as Auckland Zoo, but it’s still worth visiting if you like animals. The tiger exhibit is cool. (Yes, it is the one where that keeper was killed a few years back.) The meerkats are cool. The monkeys are cool. Admittedly, it is quite weird seeing giraffes walking through a green field with ordinary New Zealand houses in the background…

3) The Arboretum

The Taitua Arboretum is just outside Hamilton, on the road to Raglan. It’s free to enter and makes for a lovely walk. There are lots of species of trees and birds, as well as a Chinese garden and even a stone circle. Children enjoy feeding the colourful population of friendly chickens that inhabit it.

4) The Tree Church

The Tree Church is breathtaking. It was built privately by some guy out near Ohaupo, but he was persuaded to open it to the public. It’s literally a church made out of trees. It’s serene and beautiful, and looks like something out of a fantasy novel. Children aren’t allowed and it’s only open during certain hours of certain days, so you’ll have to check the website to plan your visit. If you’re heading that way, I suggest having lunch at the Olde Creamery Café – I had my hen party there. It’s really quite special.

5) Memorial Park

Memorial Park, which joins onto Parana Park, is just across the river from the city centre. It’s fun to explore for children and adults alike. There’s a fantastic playground – take the kids’ togs – and an aviary, as well as a picturesque stream, delightful gardens, a spitfire and several pleasing nooks and crannies. Take a picnic.

6) The City Centre

The centre of Hamilton isn’t very big. We dropped off a couple of Canadian hitchhikers on the main street once, and they said, “Umm, sorry, but could you take us to the city centre?” Okay, so it’s no booming metropolis, but it has some cool bits. There’s Garden Place, Casabella Lane, the riverside paths, Embassy Park – which is full of quirky Rocky Horror goodness – and lots of excellent restaurants. And don’t forget Browsers, one of the best secondhand bookshops in New Zealand.

7) Woodlands

Woodlands Historic Homestead and Gardens is on the outskirts of Hamilton. It’s a tranquil place with a café that I highly recommend. You can well imagine Victorian or Edwardian ladies in white frocks and hats strolling the grounds. The café has a collection of old-fashioned games that children can play with outside, whist the adults have a sophisticated drink on the veranda.

8) Zealong

The Zealong Tea Estate is New Zealand’s only tea plantation. You can take a tour and indulge in high tea, before splashing out in the very posh-looking giftshop. You can also stay for dinner – the restaurant menu seems decent, if pricey.

9) The Lake

Lake Rotoroa, (not Rotorua,) also known as Hamilton Lake, isn’t far from the city centre, but it feels as though it’s a whole world away. Walking around the lake is always pleasant, and there’s a café and ice-cream next to a massive playground. You’ll encounter plenty of pukeko, often being dicks to ducks.

10) The Museum

The Waikato Museum, down by the river, usually has something interesting on, especially for kids. The last time I went was for a historical costume exhibition, featuring dresses worn by Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet and other famous actors.

And that’s kind of all… Hamilton has a decent rock-climbing place, if you’re into that. The kids’ walls are especially fantastic. Extreme Edge, it’s called. If any other Hamiltonians can think of anywhere else, I’d appreciate your help in the comments!

Underhill: The Real-Life Hobbit Hole

We spent our honeymoon in a magical place, a private retreat in a secluded dell: a real-life hobbit hole. Seriously, a pseudo-medieval cottage built into a hillside. There was no electricity, just a cast iron stove and a shedload of candles. The bed was piled with furs and all the dark, wooden beams were reassuringly solid. The front doors opened onto a picturesque pond, complete with water lilies and sweeping curtains of willow branches. The pond was crossed by a wooden bridge straight out of a Monet painting. On its edge, two seats awaited the happy couple, inviting them to share a bottle of wine by the light of the setting sun.

If this place sounds too good to be true, wait until I tell you that it’s just outside Hamilton, New Zealand, at the bottom of someone’s farm. It’s called Underhill – and it’s only for adults. Tim and I spent two days there, completely cut off from the rest of the world. All we could do was read, play boardgames and… well, it was our honeymoon, so I shouldn’t need to say what else. It was paradise.

Now, I should reassure you that, although there’s no electricity, the facilities at Underhill are far from primitive. The toilet is composting, and the surprisingly luxurious shower is located in its own little cave, with plenty of hot water. There’s even an outdoor bathtub, although it was full of crickets when we arrived. Towels, handwash and bodywash are provided. The only negative thing we encountered during our stay was that the torches we had been provided with didn’t work. No matter. Lighting a candle to carry out to the toilet in the middle of the night was a gratifyingly historical experience.

Due to the secluded nature of the place, there was a lot of birdlife to be seen. Pukekos circled the pond, fantails flitted about the cave’s entrance – one even visited us whilst we were having a shower! Various avian melodies echoed around the dell. Only occasionally did we hear a distant car, reminding us that we were not, in fact, in our own bubble reality.

Underhill isn’t a cheap place to stay, at well over $300 a night, but it’s worth every penny. The two nights we spent there were perfect, especially as we’d just had our wedding reception at Hobbiton! (Photos here.) A friend of mine proposed to his fiancée there and, frankly, I can’t think of anywhere better. (Well, except onboard a zeppelin flying over Lake Constance, but I’m biased. That’s how Tim proposed to me, you see.)

You can book your romantic Underhill getaway here. Tim and I were only away for two nights, but we’re going on a longer, belated honeymoon next year, travelling around the South Island in a campervan.

Oh, here’s a last-minute Underhill tip: take an old-fashioned watch with you. There’s no way to charge your phone, of course, and, as we discovered, it’s really quite hard to tell what time it is when you’re so secluded!

Photos from Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival

The 2018 Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival has been fantastic. From Shirley Valentine performed in the Italian Renaissance Garden to A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed amongst the trees, I have loved every moment of it. Especially because I have had the privilege of performing in it myself.

One day, I was a fairy, flitting around getting photographs with children. One older boy tried to get smart with me, telling me he didn’t believe in fairies. Of course, I replied that every time someone says that, a fairy drops down dead. I expected him to laugh and repeat it, but instead he looked quite guilty and told me he’d chase away anyone who said it!

Another older boy threatened to hit me, so I told him (wisely or not) that fairies can only be harmed by iron, to which the boy replied, “There’s iron in my body!” Clever child, you must concede, so I leaned in and said, “I’d better not eat you then.”

One day, I was Marie Antoinette, promenading around with a fellow courtly lady. For the last half-hour or so, two little girls, attached themselves to us, so we taught them how to say, “Bonsoir, monsieur!”

One day, I was a flapper statue as part of the entertainment for the Katherine Mansfield Garden Party. Katherine Mansfield is New Zealand’s most celebrated author, who died at a tragically young age in the 1920s. The garden party had live jazz music and vintage stalls, and I got a photograph with a little girl who was rather apathetic towards my presence until she found out that we were both called Abby!

The Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival happens every year in February, so if you’re anywhere near the Waikato then, come and join in. I met a couple of British tourists there: I’d just slumped gratefully into a seat at the café when this bloke leaned over and said, “Shouldn’t you be standing still?” I told him I’d just finished “me” shift and he asked if I was travelling.

“No, me family immigrated ’ere when ah were a kid,” I said.

Yes, I was playing up my accent for the fun of it. I often do that. When a few older men started to get a bit handsy with me when I was the fairy, for example, I suddenly came out with a roguish Scouse accent that made it easier for me to fend off their actions and make my escape before anything happened. But I digress.

This British couple were surprised to hear that Hamilton is like New Zealand’s equivalent of Coventry, a city mercilessly mocked merely because it is. To them, Hamilton seemed like a beacon of culture. And it is! Enjoy the pictures and make sure you visit yourself one day.

Thank you to the Free Lunch Street Theatre Company, of which I am a part, for posing for these wonderful photos, taken by my partner, Tim.

Mangapohue Natural Bridge

A natural bridge… Sounds cool, right? We thought so, which is why we went to see the Mangapohue Natural Bridge before leaving Waitomo.

The weather was lovely. Considering the especially rainy winter we’d had, we counted ourselves lucky. You might well ask why we’d decided to take a trip at that time of year. Simply, campervans are lot cheaper to hire in winter. It also makes for an easier trip, as you don’t have to worry about booking anything in advance, and a more peaceful trip, as you get beauty spots and sometimes entire campsites to yourself.

Mangapohue Natural Bridge was one such beauty spot. We began the twenty-minute walk with little idea what to expect. The path was gentle, leading us over a manmade bridge into a modest gorge. It continued as a boardwalk overhanging a stream. I remember the light being particularly pleasant: sunbeams had draped themselves amongst the branches above us like gauzy scarves.

As we made our way along the stream, a strange feeling started tingling inside me. “I’ve been here before,” I said. “With my parents.”

Then, as soon as the natural bridge came into view, I knew it. I didn’t remember being there as such, but I recognised the view from one of my own photographs! (I’d even used the photograph before on this blog!) How I managed to forget the sight of it, I’ll never know, because it was magnificent.

Straddling the stream was an enormous limestone archway, complete with scraggly stalactites.

From a certain angle, part of it seemed shaped like an old-fashioned lock, which gave me serious Alice in Wonderland vibes. Sunlight peered into the archway, jostling with a group of cabbage trees for a view.

We ascended a flight of steps curving up to a wooden platform, where we stayed for some time. It was a location straight from a fantasy novel, one of the more subdued scenes where the heroes stop to rest and the young would-be lovers sneak away for a moment, only to be interrupted by another party member as it’s too early in the narrative for them to kiss. If there had been any trolls under this bridge, they would have been friendly ones.

The rest of the walk wasn’t quite as epic, but that hardly mattered after we’d seen. As something free to do in Waitomo, the Mangapohue Natural Bridge is something you should definitely experience, along with the magical Ruakuri Walk.

When we got back to our campervan, it was time to get going to Tongariro National Park. We stopped for lunch in Taumarunui, a mostly dull town with a few quirky touches, such as this ornamental shop front…

We also popped into an antiques shop – because I can’t walk past an antiques shop – that turned out to be owned by a fellow British immigrant. We got talking, and even though she wasn’t a northerner, my accent started mimicking hers, getting stronger and stronger until we left the shop. Any other immigrants notice their accents doing that?

By the time we reached Tongariro National Park, it was almost sunset. We checked into what turned out to be an excellent campground, Plateau Lodge, in National Park Village, before driving into Whakapapa Village and up the side of Mount Ruapehu, a snow-covered volcano that’s popular with skiers. We didn’t enter the ski resort: we just wanted to catch some sweet views before bed. Which we did.

If you’re interested in hiring a campervan like this, by the way, visit www.wendekreisen.co.nz – that model’s also for sale, newly built, at Campervan Sales.

Anyway, cheers for visiting and make sure you pop by next week. I’ll be posting an article about what we got up to in Tongariro National Park, more specifically, High Tea at the Chateau!

Te Awamutu, or That Time a Chicken Burst Out of Our Laundry Basket

It’s one of those small towns you drive through on the way to somewhere else. It’s a pleasant, forgettable settlement whose only claim to fame is that Tim and Neil Finn (of Crowded House) come from there. I’m talking, of course, of Te Awamutu. (You may have driven through it.)

Te Awamutu lies half an hour south of Hamilton, on State Highway 3. If you find yourself on a New Zealand self-drive holiday, you’ll probably pass through it on your way to Waitomo. When you do, stop. Make your way to Te Awamutu War Memorial Park off Mutu Street. It’s well worth a look.

Te Awamutu War Memorial Park is an unexpectedly lovely place to stretch your legs. It has a beautiful colonnaded walkway entwined with roses, a tranquil pond with a fairy tale-esque stone bridge, the most interesting war memorial I’ve seen and, most importantly for me, an amphitheatre.

It’s only a small amphitheatre, but it’s rather pretty, being decorated with stone relief carvings and surrounded by roses. Plays are often performed there, a couple of which I’ve been in. If you were wondering about the chicken from the title of this blog, here’s where it enters.

We were staging an afternoon performance of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor, the most important prop of which is a laundry basket. (The play’s antagonist, Falstaff, is tricked into hiding inside it with hilarious consequences.)

I should mention at this point that Te Awamutu War Memorial Park is absolutely teeming with ducks and chickens, both of which are very friendly. One particular chicken had come to see the play. It spent some time watching in fascination from the wings. Then, just before we were due to carry the laundry basket on stage, it jumped in.

Well, if it wanted to be part of the show, who were we to turf it out? We carried the laundry basket onto the stage, placing it in the centre as we were meant to… whereupon the chicken burst out, flapping and squawking, and ran away through the middle of the audience. There followed a little improvisation involving telling off the servants for letting a chicken in the house, which the audience found utterly delightful.

The abundance of amiable fowl seems to attract many locals to the park. Last time I was there, for an evening picnic with my partner, there was an old woman standing in the midst of hundreds of ducks, feeding them from a bucket. The quacking din was incredible!

We noticed one duck had outsmarted the others and was plunging its head into the old woman’s bucket whenever her back was turned. Of course, the presence of such scavengers can make for a less than relaxing picnic. It was a charming sunset, though.

So don’t just drive through Te Awamutu – take a little time to appreciate the War Memorial Park. There’s even a free camping spot ten minutes up the road from it at Lake Ngaroto. It’s quiet with nice views and clean, flushing toilets – perfect if you hire a campervan for your New Zealand trip.

Springtime for Hamilton Gardens

There’s always something going on at the Hamilton Gardens. The weekend before last there was a model railway exhibition. I wouldn’t have gone to it myself, but my parents were visiting and my dad’s obsessed with trains. His own model railway takes up nearly half a double garage, and he’s started another one in a shed. (Mum wasn’t keen on him building one around the top of their lounge.)

Some of the layouts were quite interesting. I especially enjoyed seeing the ones set in Germany and Austria. They reminded me of my real train journey through Europe. My dad’s layout is based on our hometown in England. Mostly. He’s added a few quirky touches, such as a 1960s police box (or TARDIS) and zombies emerging from a graveyard. It’s really good, actually. The Victorian terraced houses make me nostalgic.

I didn’t find the model railway exhibition nearly as interesting as the gardens themselves, though. I know I go to the gardens a lot, but seeing them in the springtime is something special. I couldn’t resist taking these photos of the Italian Renaissance Garden…

When my dad finally emerged from the exhibition, he wanted to do some geocaching. It’s another obsession of his, albeit a recent one. There were a few hidden caches around the gardens. In one there was a trackable coin that had been all over the world. I followed him with my mum and partner, catching Pokémon on my phone as I went. I wonder if we’ll ever walk around the gardens normally again!

Cute Animals and Hay Fever

“That’s how we know it’s spring,” Tim said as I tried not to sneeze on a duckling. “Cute animals and hay fever.”

I backed away, drawing out one of my carefully rationed tissues. Pollen filled the air like fairy dust, glistening as it swirled around the trees at the Taitua Arboretum. To be fair it wasn’t just hay fever – I was (and still am) fighting off a bad cold.

We were at the arboretum because my parents were visiting. We’d been before, but until now we’d never seen it bathed in sunlight. It was a little bit magical.

Fluffy, yellow chicks flurried about in the undergrowth. (We couldn’t believe how many chickens there were, actually!) Fantails flitted coquettishly along the branches. Tui serenaded us from above, ducklings begged us for food, and geese drifted towards us. (Tim has a history with geese; perhaps they sensed this as they drifted away again quite quickly.)

I felt like a mucus-laden Disney princess. We even found fairy doors on a couple of tree trunks.

The most magical sight, however, was this.

The photograph doesn’t really capture it, of course: the golden beams of sunlight filtering through the branches; the branches bowing to kiss the surface of the pond; floating leaves forming an illuminated path to the far bank, upon which sits a bench in a sheltered clearing… All rather inviting.

The Taitua Arboretum is a lovely, peaceful place to go for a walk that I imagine would be great for kids. I look forward to visiting it next season. Hopefully I’ll be able to breathe properly then!

Corsets, Clockwork and a Cicada

Steampunk Market in Kihikihi, you say? I’m there!

Kihikihi is a small town half an hour south of Hamilton. I’d never been there before, but I’m very glad I went. The Steampunk Market took place in the old Town Hall, but there were other historic buildings to explore as well. These included one of the loveliest wooden churches I’ve seen in New Zealand!

The name Kihikihi means ‘cicada’ – it’s onomatopoeic, you see. There’s a sculpture of a cicada outside the church, observing every car driving in and out of the town. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy walking around the town quite as much as I did.

The market wasn’t very large, but there were lots of people there and lots of pretty costumes! Of course, there were corsets for sale. And an abundance of jewellery made out of watch cogs. And top hats and goggles and old bits of junk that looked vaguely cool. That’s what steampunk’s all about!

Further along the street from the Town Hall, there was a colonial jail and house, which were open for viewing. It was a beautiful day. The white, wooden exteriors gleamed in the sunlight. On the veranda of the house, as there so often is, was an old woman spinning wool.

Naturally I dressed up.

I seriously can’t wait until we do another South Island campervan trip, because I want to visit the steampunk capital of New Zealand, Oamaru. Oamaru has a really cool Victorian Precinct selling books, antiques, jewellery and art. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for historic villages closer to home, such as Howick.

With its heritage trail and collection of second-hand shops, including a 1920s shop was unfortunately closed when we were there, Kihikihi might just be worth visiting – on your way down to Waitomo, perhaps?

Taitua Arboretum (with an international forestry expert!)

It’s a beautiful day in Hamilton. The sun’s shining with all the warmth of summer. What a wonderful day to stroll around Taitua Arboretum!

Pity we went yesterday when the weather wasn’t so good.

“Not a sky in the clouds,” a friend of mine said.

Ah well. We still enjoyed it.

Taitua Arboretum is a few minute’s drive out of Hamilton, towards Raglan. It’s free to enter and contains many hundreds of species of trees, both indigenous and exotic.

Now it just so happens that my partner’s uncle, who’s in New Zealand for a visit and was with us yesterday, is an international forestry expert. So what did Dr Alexander Hinrichs think of Taitua Arboretum?

“It’s pretty nice,” he said as we set out along the main track, umbrellas in hand.

The first place of note we came to was a ring of redwood trees, towering over us as one would expect redwoods to do. Inside the ring would be a nice place for a picnic on a more clement day.

On we went, the path carpeted with chestnuts. We were accompanied on our walk by a number of chickens. It was rather amusing to see them sheltering under a fir tree when the rain became too heavy. Even the ducks on the various ponds we passed were seeking shelter.

“It’s a diverse collection,” our international forestry expert commented. “Obviously not planted with any scientific thought, but it’s interesting. I like it.”

According to the leaflet we collected at the entrance, Taitua Arboretum was developed by a husband and wife who sourced many of the trees during their world travels.

It’s a good walk. Not as beautiful as the Hamilton Gardens, but different. Fewer people. More like a bush walk. There are 2.3 kilometres of walking tracks and bridges, according to the leaflet, and it seems a popular place for people to take their dogs.

The bamboo tunnel was cool. There was a Chinese archway, a tranquil pond and an intriguing sculpture…

I became rather excited when I saw a stone circle highlighted on the map, but, unfortunately, my excitement was somewhat misguided. (Does anyone know of any properly nice stone circles in New Zealand? Being a British history nerd I rather miss them. Obviously, there won’t be any ancient ones, as New Zealand wasn’t even inhabited by humans in the Neolithic, but maybe a modern enthusiast has built a “fake” one somewhere?)

There was also a classical ruin in the arboretum – fake, of course, but fun. I’m all for building follies – mock ruins of ancient buildings, such as Greek temples or medieval castles. I want to have one in my own garden one day, (though it will probably have to be a small one.) The Taitua ruin isn’t amazing or anything, but it’s a nice idea and I wouldn’t mind having a picnic there one day.

We’re all quite keen to go back to Taitua Arboretum on a sunny day. I don’t know if it’s worth travelling to Hamilton solely to visit it, but if you’re in Hamilton anyway then definitely go. You could combine it with a trip to Hamilton Zoo or the breathtaking Bridal Veil Falls.

Another Reason to Visit Hamilton

Brown Capuchin Monkeys

Hamilton Zoo is a lot more than it first appears. It may not be as grand as Auckland Zoo, but it is certainly as good. Many say better. I went with my parents and boyfriend last weekend, and we found it more pleasant to walk around than Auckland Zoo. More intimate; more trees shading the paths.

Chimpanzee

Auckland Zoo has more animals than Hamilton Zoo, but Hamilton Zoo is almost twice as large as Auckland Zoo in terms of land area. In fact it feels deceptively large. Entry into Hamilton Zoo costs $22, which is an absolute bargain, and it’s wonderful to see the animals in such massive enclosures.

Sumatran Tigers – aww!

The Sumatran tiger exhibit was especially impressive. When we arrived, three of the tigers were sleeping all snuggled up together. It was a mother and two cubs, although the cubs were a year old and didn’t look like babies anymore! I spent a long time ‘awwing’ at them, but was soon reminded that tigers aren’t always so cute.

Ostrich

One of the other tigers looked like it was actually trying to stalk the keepers that had come to feed them! The keepers were safe on the other side of the fence, of course, but it was only a few months ago that one of the Hamilton Zoo keepers was mauled to death by one of the tigers.

Cheetah

Thankfully, the tiger in question wasn’t euthanized. It was just being a tiger.

Hamilton Zoo doesn’t have any lions, but it does have some rather majestic cheetahs.

Giraffes

It also has giraffes, rhinos, monkeys, meerkats, red pandas, chimpanzees and an array of other creatures, including native New Zealand birds and reptiles.

Hamilton Zoo has the largest free flight aviary in New Zealand, complete with pond and waterfall.

The meerkats were adorable. One of them seemed intent on digging a tunnel to Spain, (Spain being the antipode of New Zealand,) and was already well on its way.

Meerkat

The giraffes were spectacular, but their limelight was stolen by the rutting blackbucks that shared their enclosure, almost beneath their notice.

Blackbucks

The kea were amusing – as if one could expect anything else. They are, after all, New Zealand’s funniest birds. One of them was playing dead right next to the fence. Very convincing. It even had a wing cocked at an odd angle!

Kea

And no, it wasn’t actually dead. It realised we were onto it and shook its head in annoyance. Apparently, it pretends to be dead a lot. Maybe it’s part of an elaborate escape plan.

All in all, we were walking around the zoo for three hours. We needed all day, really. We only just got round everything before the place closed, and we could have spent so much longer with many of the animals. I definitely want to go again at some point.

The gift shop and the café are nothing special, but there’s a playground and some okay picnic areas. The main focus is on the animals, which is as it should be.

Peacock