Waitomo

Raglan is on Whāingaroa Harbour, on the west coast of the North Island, about 48 km west of Hamilton. The town, with a population of just under 4,000, is especially popular with surfers: At Manu Bay, a long left-hand wave breaks, which was featured in the 1966 surf film The Endless Summer, and on the black sand beach Ngarunui, many learn their first waves.Around Bow Street, you'll find cafés, galleries, and small shops, and at the harbour, the old wharf dating back to 1921. In the hinterland, the 55 m high Wairēinga waterfall and the forested Karioi await.

The Waikato, south of Auckland in the north of the North Island, is primarily green pasture and dairy land, traversed by the Waikato River, New Zealand's longest river. Hamilton is the main city, with the Hamilton Gardens. To the west, Raglan attracts with surf beaches on the Tasman Sea; to the east are Cambridge and Matamata, home to the Hobbiton Movie Set from the Lord of the Rings films. In the south of the region, you'll find the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.For hiking, the Hakarimata Range near Ngāruawāhia, the fenced mountain forest of Maungatautari, and the Karangahake Gorge, with its gold mining traces, are ideal. Most of these destinations are reachable from Hamilton as a day trip.

Cambridge is located on the Waikato River, approximately 24 km southeast of Hamilton, and with around 22,700 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the Waipā District. The town calls itself the Town of Trees & Champions: Old avenue trees line the streets, and the surrounding area is home to numerous thoroughbred stud farms, which have earned Cambridge its reputation as New Zealand's horse capital.In the compact center around Victoria Street, you'll find cafés, boutiques, and buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Outside, the Te Awa River Ride along the river awaits, as well as the rowing area on Lake Karāpiro and the Maungatautari wildlife sanctuary.

Hamilton, known in Māori as Kirikiriroa, is New Zealand's fourth-largest city, situated on both sides of the Waikato River – at 425 km, the country's longest river. Most visitors are drawn to the Hamilton Gardens and their thematic displays. Other worthwhile attractions include the Waikato Museum by the river, the riverside paths, and Hamilton Lake. The city is ideally placed as a base for excursions to Raglan, Cambridge, Hobbiton, or the Waitomo Caves.

Matamata is a rural town in the east of Waikato, surrounded by pastureland and horse studs at the foot of the Kaimai Range. It is known for the Hobbiton Movie Set on a sheep and beef farm southwest of the town, where The Shire from Peter Jackson's films is preserved and can only be visited on a guided tour. In the town itself, the Information Centre, styled like a gatehouse, and the Firth Tower Museum recall the film and settler history.