Cambridge is in the running to win two categories in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards. Photo / Supplied
Cambridge is in the running to win two categories in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards. Photo / Supplied
Tom Rowland
Comment: With Hamilton Kirikiriroa up for New Zealand's most beautiful city against Whanganui in the Keep New Zealand beautiful award and Hamilton's neighbour, Cambridge, defending its title as New Zealand's most beautiful large town against Hastings, while also contesting for the best street in New Zealand, the Waikato as a whole cements itself as one of New Zealand's most beautiful regions, if not the most beautiful.
While the judges are generally looking for how the finalists are combating waste reduction and the environment, there is much more to the Waikato then its fight against landfill.
From small rural towns such as Morrinsville to the bustling Victoria St in Hamilton, the Waikato displays the very best New Zealand has to offer in attractions, facilities and communities. While Hamilton may be the butt of jokes from Aucklanders and one of its neighbouring towns Huntly consistently listed as one of the worst towns in New Zealand, the Waikato is where I believe you see some of the very best of New Zealand, and New Zealanders.
I arrived in New Zealand in late 2005 from the United Kingdom, and since then I have spent the entirety of my life here in Hamilton, from Saint Andrews to Dinsdale to Rototuna. I attended Rototuna Primary School, Peachgrove Intermediate, Hamilton Boys High School, both the University of Waikato and Wintec before taking up my current role.
During that time I have also travelled around New Zealand, on a South Island road trip, New Year trips away to the beaches in the Coromandel and Hastings and visits to Auckland and Wellington, and yet with each trip away from the Waikato I always want to return.
While there is probably an argument for home sickness, there is something about the openness of the Waikato which appeals along with the heart of the region, the Waikato River.
In Hamilton, moves are being made to finally turn Hamilton into the river city it was always destined to be.
Hamilton is up for New Zealand's most beautiful city award. Photo / Hamilton City Council
Just over three years ago one could be forgiven for not realising how close Hamilton's CBD was to the river, until the council opened up the Victoria on the River Park which has been the beginning of the transformation of turning Hamilton to the river.
Hamiltonians can walk down the main street with their lunch and eat among others at the riverside park, while live performances and movie nights have added sense of community to a CBD which until recently was labelled as dying.
With the development of the Waikato Regional Theatre, along with the continuation of public art events such as the BOON Street Arts festival which has been responsible for the many pieces of public street murals across the CBD, Hamilton is becoming a city with a wealth of cultural depth which is being led by community groups and politicians alike.
The Hamilton Gardens will continue to remain the gem in Hamilton's crown, and in the near future will have several more gardens for Hamiltonians and its visitors to explore, while still continuing with popular events such as Gourmet in the Gardens, which allows our multi-cultural community to come out and display the best of the world's food.
Under the previous and current council, development is starting to move in a sensible direction, with apartment living becoming more of an option in the central city while quarter acre properties are still available for those in the outlying suburbs. The development of Peacocke will be a milestone for the city with the environment at the heart of every decision.
Just 15 minutes down the expressway sits another jewel in the Waikato in Cambridge. The town which took off with the completion of the Waikato Expressway, but has still kept its small town charm.
Across the Waikato, towns like Te Aroha and Paeroa are rich in history, while Matamata offers visitors the chance to dive into the fabled world of Middle Earth, and if that wasn't enough the Waikato is also home to the Waitomo Glow Worm caves.
My favourite part about the region however has been the many hikes and walks it has to offer. From Wairere Falls to Mount Te Aroha, the Te Awa Cycle Way and Mount Karioi. The Waikato is home to some of the best scenic hikes that allows you to truly see how beautiful the region, and New Zealand are.
While there are sure to be those who would rightly contest that other regions around the country are more deserving of the crown of most beautiful region, I truly believe that the Waikato is often underrated when it comes to what it has to offer in terms of beauty.
