Waikato
South of the big smoke of Auckland, the Bombay Hills mark the transition from the City of Sails' urban energy to the rural and laidback ambience of the Waikato region. The ever-increasing suburban sprawl of South Auckland gives way to vivid green farmland, kept irrigated by the 420km might of the Waikato River that flows from Lake Taupo to the south.
New Zealand's longest river flows through Hamilton, and although derided by some cynics as a little too ordered and organised, the country's fourth largest urban area is reinventing itself for the 21st-century armed with the energy of its big student population. Farming is still the biggest game in town, but a surprising number of innovative high-tech industries are also taking root here, amid the city's academic heritage. Auckland's less than 90 minutes away, and Hamilton's cafes, bars and restaurant do a good job in keeping up with their urban big brother up State Highway 1. Elsewhere in the region, the rolling pastoral lands surrounding Hamilton morph into wilder, more exciting landscapes made for exercising the quintessential Kiwi sense of adventure.
On the west coast, Raglan is a surf town, that's quickly becoming a slightly New Age but supremely relaxing oceanside community. Raglan draws bohemian and creative types from around New Zealand, and a surprising number of immigrants, too.
Further south in the dramatic landscapes of the King Country, one of New Zealand's oldest tourist attractions is undergoing a transformation as locals invent new ways to explore the subterranean labyrinths of the Waitomo Caves. And just when you think the region can't provide any more iconic New Zealand experiences like lush sheep farms, adventure sports and rugged surf beaches, you can head to Otorohonga and introduce yourself as a new Kiwi to a gathering of the real, feathered kind.
New Zealand's longest river flows through Hamilton, and although derided by some cynics as a little too ordered and organised, the country's fourth largest urban area is reinventing itself for the 21st-century armed with the energy of its big student population. Farming is still the biggest game in town, but a surprising number of innovative high-tech industries are also taking root here, amid the city's academic heritage. Auckland's less than 90 minutes away, and Hamilton's cafes, bars and restaurant do a good job in keeping up with their urban big brother up State Highway 1. Elsewhere in the region, the rolling pastoral lands surrounding Hamilton morph into wilder, more exciting landscapes made for exercising the quintessential Kiwi sense of adventure.
On the west coast, Raglan is a surf town, that's quickly becoming a slightly New Age but supremely relaxing oceanside community. Raglan draws bohemian and creative types from around New Zealand, and a surprising number of immigrants, too.
Further south in the dramatic landscapes of the King Country, one of New Zealand's oldest tourist attractions is undergoing a transformation as locals invent new ways to explore the subterranean labyrinths of the Waitomo Caves. And just when you think the region can't provide any more iconic New Zealand experiences like lush sheep farms, adventure sports and rugged surf beaches, you can head to Otorohonga and introduce yourself as a new Kiwi to a gathering of the real, feathered kind.
