KEY POINTS:
Forget the popular nightclubs of the Auckland Viaduct: Hamilton is the new place to party for Auckland young people wanting to try somewhere different.
Students and twenty-somethings seeking a change of scene are heading down State Highway 1 for the weekend - and finding there is more to Hamilton nightlife than they thought.
Instead of being simply a "place to grab a burger on the way to the mountain", as 19-year-old architecture student Ben Walker put it, Hamilton has a fast-growing reputation as a "thriving party destination".
Eight new bars and restaurants have opened in the popular Hood St alone in the past 12 months, and bar owners have noted a steady stream of out-of-towners among their local clientele in recent years.
Richard Bate, a director of long-standing nightspots The Bank and The Outback, said young people often came from Auckland and Tauranga, as well as satellite towns around Hamilton.
"That's really positive, we find that's awesome," he said, adding that the redevelopment of Hood St had created a safer, more-attractive environment for visitors and locals.
Jason Macklow, owner of Rodeo Rodeo, CBD, and Iguana Street Bar and Restaurant, said the 'Tron appealed because it lacked the "pretentiousness" found in Auckland.
"Hamilton has a lot more bars and entertainment in a smaller area, and it's maybe a bit more relaxed than Auckland, too."
Those thoughts were echoed by Auckland law student Kate Woodham-Roberts, 19, and her two friends Ben Walker and Hugo Clark, who ventured beyond the Bombays for a drink and dance last week.
Their accounts of a night out in "The City of the Future" are at right.
CITY OF SURPRISES
HUGO CLARK
"As a Londoner living in Auckland, I think of myself as relatively well educated in the club culture. Having been told about the phenomenon of Auckland students making the pilgrimage to Hamilton to experience the clubbing scene, I went deep undercover into the heart of Mooloo country. Coming to Hamilton with an open mind, it seems all the ingredients for a successful club scene are here. It would be grossly unfair to compare Hamilton nightlife to London. However what it lacks in style and grace, it makes up for in raw energy and the feeling of rowdy teens hungry for a good night out."
BEN WALKER
"I'll admit to having prejudices. I was among the cynical Aucklanders who dismiss Hamilton as a place to grab a burger on the way to the mountain. But recently it has become far more frequent to hear of Hamilton as a thriving party destination. At first I thought it was just people having a laugh, but when good friends of mine began discussing the merits of their H-Town experiences I decided to find out for myself. I found that the appeal of Hamilton for me, and probably for a lot of other Auckland teens, is not a 'superior' club scene, but that it is something different. It's a world away from the ostentatious viaduct, yet only an hour's drive from Auckland."
KATE WOODHAM-ROBERTS
"My prejudices regarding the 'Tron's nightlife slowly dissipated as we made out way into town. The attractiveness and convenient layout of the town's main strip was impressive. I'd been told Hamilton council spent around $3 million to improve the city centre and it was money well spent. I discovered Hamilton was not a hellhole, but rather a town full of potential. The clubs were spacious, hygienic and welcoming. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, and one which Hamilton club owners will be relying on to pull bigger crowds. Therein lies irony - if the success of Hamilton's nightlife relies on Aucklanders making the trip down, would it not simply be the Viaduct in sheep's clothing?"
