When you stay in our North Island Waikato accommodation, you'll have incredible views of the lush rolling hills and the rushing Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river. And if adventure is your style, you'll be thrilled with all of the limestone caves and underground streams to explore.
Things to Do
Experienced spelunkers will love weaving their way between the stalactites and stalagmites of the Waitomo Caves, which are estimated to be about 30 million years old. These caves are a great playground for beginners too and, no matter what your cave exploring experience level is, you'll be blown away by the beautiful blue light given off by the caves' glow worms. Seeing this vast cave system really is believing and it's incredible to think that it was all created by the gentle movement of water against limestone over millions of years. Come and see for yourself! Nearby, you can also go abseiling, rock climbing and black water rafting, if you're up for it.
The hub of the Waikato region is Hamilton, well-known for its beautifully landscaped gardens and its popular annual events, like Balloons Over Waikato in March. To spend a bit of time in Hamilton, check out these great
Hamilton hotel deals.
If you loved "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, or if you're just a bit of a geek when it comes to movie trivia, head on down to Hobbiton. Here, you can take a guided tour of some of the sets that were featured in the Hollywood blockbusters and get a feel for what life would really be like in Middle Earth.
History buffs, make a beeline for the Waikato Museum to learn about the area's rich cultural heritage. If you're keen to see the sites where the Maori Land Wars were fought during the 1800s, visit Rangiriri and Kihikihi. You can also wander the halls of the Firth Tower Museum, Waikato Coalfields Museum, Tirau Museum and Te Awamutu Museum, if you have time.
When it comes to sports matches, you can't go past watching a live footy game at the Waikato Stadium, home of the Waikato Chiefs. International teams are also regularly hosted here, so make sure you check the events calendar and grab some tickets before they sell out.
Getting Here
The best way to get here is to fly into Hamilton. From there you can jump aboard a coach bus to your destination. Or if you're planning on exploring the region on your own, you can hire a car at the airport.
Mother Nature sure has been kind to the Waikato region. So be kind to yourself; check out our fantastic range of Waikato hotels listed below and live every lastminute!
Image credit
Piotr Zurek under
Creative Commons
