Apr. 9-13/16: Hamilton (Gardens, Cambridge, Waitomo Caves)

I have now spent 4 1/2 days in Hamilton, and environs. I had been given the impression that it was a rather uninspiring place. From the point of view of location that may be so, as it is inland and therefore not surrounded by the sea, as Nelson and New Plymouth were.  And this area is also relatively flat. But it has certainly not been difficult to fill my time here, even though many of the things I have done have taken me outside Hamilton.

Hamilton is the fourth largest city in New Zealand, with a population of about 150,000. It was settled by the Europeans a bit later than Nelson and New Plymouth, about 1863. You can be in Auckland by car in about 1.5 hours, so an easy day trip if the big city beckons.

Once again I am staying at an Airbnb, located very close to the Waikato River, and the 20 kilometres or so of walking/cycling path beside it. And it is also just a 10 minute walk from the downtown area, or CDB (Central Business District) as it's called here. Perfect location. I love Airbnb!!

So here's what I've seen in the past few days:

Hamilton Gardens: These gardens are absolutely outstanding and were named the International Gardens of the year in 2014. The gardens are divided into a number of different areas, each representing gardens from different parts of the world: China, Japan, Italy, England, India. There is also a Maori Garden. And in each area there are not only plants/trees but also structures to help transport you to that part of the world. Here are a few examples:

Tudor Garden

Italian gardens

 Japanese Gardens

Maori Gardens

Cambridge: Cambridge is a delightful little town of just under 20,000 about 25 kilometres from Hamilton, 40 minutes by bus. I couldn't find a street sign but I did find this. Most towns here have one, and I have heard some wonderful concerts from people who have obviously been playing the piano for some time.

The streets in most towns have a similar look to them. There are wide awnings over the sidewalk so it matters not if it rains. Why don't we do this back is Canada? And parking is most often angle parking. Here is a shot  taken in Cambridge:

Cambridge downtown

There are a number of walks to be done around the town. Here is a natural arbour I found beside the river walk. Can't beat nature!

 And of course the museum is a must visit spot in each place I've been. This one was very small but very well done. Again lots of information on the Maori history, settlement by Europeans, and the land wars, which seem to have taken place throughout New Zealand.

Cambridge Museum

Waitomo Caves: These caves are one of the big tourist attractions in New Zealand. There are three main caves, but the most popular is likely the glowworm cave. Glowworms are found in only a few locations in the world;  the  ones in New Zealand draw people from far and wide. This sign gives you a good idea where many of these people  come from.

Glowworms,  I was disappointed to find out,  are the larvae (maggots) of a fly called the fungus gnat. In the larvae stage they live 6 to 9 months and look much like worms, with a tip that can glow in the dark. The larvae secret long sticky threads, each producing many. The light from the larvae attracts insects, which are caught in the thread. In a dark caves the sight of the glowworms is most impressive. You can't take pictures so I pinched this one from the web.

And here are a few shots I took in the other caves.

Movies: I also been to four movies in Hamilton, in four days. A record for me. Two New Zealand movies I wasn't sure I'd get to see back home (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Mahana), Valley of Love from the French Film Festival, and Sherpa, a very powerful movie filmed on Everest. The LIDO Theater, where they all were playing, is described as a boutique theatre and certainly is that. It has a lobby about 200 feet long filled with big comfy sitting areas, and seats in the theatre that are like sofas. Not only that, you can buy wine, excellent goodies and ice cream, and take them in to the movie. Go figure. That's just not allowed back in Canada. We must be too messy!

 Seats in the Lido Theatre

This morning I went for my jog around Lake Rotorua, just a shot distance from my Airbnb. What a beautiful spot.  The path around it is almost 4 kilometres. Lots of bird and fish life, including my favourite NZ bird, the pukeko. They are obviously used to people as a number came bravely tramping up to me, clearly hoping for food.

So now I have just one day left. I can hardly believe it. I will spend it in Raglan, so stay tuned!