I had some expectations of what a river cruise might be (I have done one on the Potomac River in…read moreWashington, DC) and this was different than what I expected, but I think that if you don't have any preconceptions, this was a nice little cruise. I went with my husband on a Sunday afternoon. We booked just tickets (not food) and arrived about 20 minutes before the start of the cruise. I would recommend getting there early so that you can get the seats you want. All the seating is bench seating with a table, but some are near open walls of the boat and some are by regular windows. I'd say the open areas are good if you want to take photos. We started off by having a drink - I had some sauvingon blanc and he had a beer. The prices were regular sorts of prices, not overly expensive, given the captive audience. Our particular cruise was from Hamilton Gardens and went into the Hamilton CBD area up to the Fairfield Bridge and then back again. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't awesome for us. It was overcast and drizzling most of the time, with a couple of downpours in there as well. That said, it wasn't a total wash and I did enjoy our time. There is a recorded tour guide that points out some of the sites along the river during the cruise. They also provide you with a small map and a guide to some of the birds you might see along the way. I was getting kind of hungry and had a brownie and then later ordered a ham and cheese toastie. I was actually really surprised that the toastie wasn't just microwaved or something. The hostess went to the back of the boat, cooked it on the grill and it was served nicely with a small salad and quite nice presentation. Overall, I think this was a fun experience, particularly if you're just visiting in the area. It would have been nicer in sunnier weather, but it wasn't too bad in the rain. They also have cruises that go in the opposite direction to Mystery Creek Winery, for wine tasting.

The Waikato River Explorer website is tired and old, certainly needs to be updated as its really…read moreunappealing in its present form. Overall this website is a boring customer experience Other issues the site has listed below. 1. Reduce or optimize your meta keywords 2. Check all images for ALT attribute 3. Make your HTML code less messy 4. Delete frame and iframe tags 5. Add proper sitemap.xml file 6. Get some Google +1 clicks

OMG! We stopped her after seeing the "photo interest" road sign while driving from Taupo to…read moreWaitomo. It was a spur of the moment decision. What a spectacular spot! I'm not sure I've ever been somewhere this unique. We ended up walking quite a ways on the Te Waihou Walkway along the beautiful Blue Spring. It was otherworldly in how crystal clear the waters were. Underwater vegetation was plentiful and swaying with the current. This is absolutely worth your stop. The hike is longer than you think it is, but completely worth it. We also encountered lots of interesting birds. This is easily one of the most naturally beautiful places I've ever been on Earth -- solely rivaled perhaps in my travels only by some alpine springs I've hiked along in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks in the USA. I have never seen water this clear and underwater colors this vibrant from the surface.

This place was beautiful! I ran across it while researching places to go in New Zealand. By the…read moretime we got here, I forgot what this place was. We decided to spend 30 minutes here. As it turns out, this was not enough time. This is worth spending at least an hour here if not more. It will take you 10 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the main viewpoint. As you walk down the path, you'll catch glimpses of a stream. But this is no ordinary stream - it has crystal clear water and beautiful plants growing in the stream. The blue of the water combined with the green of the plants create a beautiful combination that looks like something out of a Monet painting. From the main viewing stand, if you look across the stream, there's a nook, and the water there is a beautiful azure color, darker than the rest of the water. Beyond the viewing stand, the path continues, but this is as far as we got. I think the trail goes another 4-5 kilometers. If you are in the area, definitely check this out. It's a great detour when driving between Rotorua and the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, or to Hobbiton. Just plan to spend more time here than we did.

Hamilton Lake is a great place for the whole family. The new children's park/playground…read more(established in 2019) is a substantial improvement over the one that was there before. Likewise, the five-km track around Lake Rotoroa is well travelled. A couple of drawbacks about Hamilton Lake are the number of people it attracts at any given time. Too many people usually come here not only at the weekend but also during the weekday. This makes for some uncomfortable interactions between runners and joggers, cyclists and children, jugglers and clowns, etc. Be prepared for a crowd when you go! Check out the café too. They're a hoot!

I usually come here at least once a week when the weather is permitting. The lake has a lovely…read morepath that circles the entire lake, about 5K in length. There are always some runners, some walkers, some moms pushing their babies, dog-walkers and other folks making good use of it. There is a cafe on site, The Verandah, where you can get cold/hot food, coffee and other drinks. It has a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating. The highlight of the lake, for us, is the newly renovated playground. It is just awesome! If only I could still pass for an appropriately-aged child and check this out for myself. Our 3-year-old loves it, particularly the long and winding water features near the playground itself. There is also a toddler playground, nearby, lots of swings and a crazy-long slide. There are also tons of ducks and other birds and we've spent many an hour here losing loaf after loaf of bread to the birds, but enjoying every minute of it. On the weekends, I have seen some sort of sailing classes here, but haven't participated in them myself. This is a great place to come for a walk, a run, a run around or a coffee. There are lots of grassy open spaces for playing whatever sport suits your fancy, and usually you'll find some soccer balls or rugby balls flying around. There are also lots of picnic benches and opportunity to spread out a blanket and have a ground level picnic. Toilets available by the toddler playground. Hard to say anything negative - we keep going back again and again.

On a road trip of the North Island recently, I had a free morning and decided to have breakfast in…read moreHamilton and visit the gardens. Driving by the entrance, it was clear to see this is a large and worthwhile spot. I highly recommend it if you love flowers, plants, and pleasant strolls outside. Parking is free and plentiful, signs guide you to the entrance. There is a cafe outside too, with lots of seating both inside and out, including restrooms. The main building contains a gift shop with lots of garden and plant supplies, plus the main ticket booth. Prices vary depending where you're from, and they have annual memberships. The gardens are large and divided by both type and historical period and geographic location, which I loved. I mostly visited the various parts clockwise, with Japanese, Chinese, Egyptian, Italian, and New Zealand all being unique. I loved how each has buildings and water features common to the place and time, like a zen rock garden, fountains, and even 60s Americana. At the edge of the Renaissance garden is an outdoor theatre, where I'm told productions of Shakespeare take place. Beyond there are mostly New Zealand centric gardens including what ancient rainforests looked like, and more mountainous areas. There's art throughout like murals and statues. I loved the Maori garden, with traditional carvings and buildings. The Wellington themed Sunday garden was also a highlight, with outdoor tea setup and antique Ford. In all I spent a few hours here and thought it was well worth the entry fee and time. I know I missed springtime by a couple weeks, but there was still plenty to enjoy. It's worth your visit.

We stopped by Hamilton Gardens on our drive back from Hobbiton to Auckland and really enjoyed the…read morevisit. The gardens are no longer free, they charge $20 admission but it's worth visiting. There are a number of different gardens to walk through (e.g., Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Egyptian, etc) with a lot of thought put behind the design to pay homage to the different artistic styles and evolution of gardens. You really get to immerse yourself into different cultures and expression of art in the garden form through time. I loved the gardens so much I ended up buying the book and have been learning more about the history and development of the gardens (fun fact: it used to be a garbage dump). By the far the best gardens I've visited.

OMFG THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. Seriously I think it's my new happy place. I am a big fan of the…read moreoutdoors, nature, and especially waterfalls, so finding this place was a dream come true. I came here with my partner on a road trip from Auckland, and we spent wayyy longer here than we imagined we would. We climbed rocks and swam in the cold water and took loads of photos (this place is seriously 'gram worthy) and stretched out on the boulders like a couple of lizards. My fingers and forearms were actually sore later from all of the climbing I did. I don't think this place would be ideal for anyone who is handicapped, as you do have to walk over rocks to get anywhere. Though if you do want to check it out, you could just look from the bridge. McLaren Falls Park is one of the most magical places I've been in New Zealand, I would highly HIGHLY recommend coming here - even if you have to go out of your way, it's that worth it. Make sure you go to the actual park (a lot of people seem to just stop by the bridge, where a couple of the falls are) and do the hike to the real waterfall - that's where the really big one is!

This is a long stretch of park winding alongside the Waikato River. You can start the walk at an…read moreentrance off Riverlea Road, and there is another entrance off of Hudson Street. It's similar to other areas of "River Walk" in Hamilton, with a raised boardwalk pathway winding through the park. There are a few areas of expansive green space, where my kids love to just run around. There isn't a playground, but it's a lovely walk. I feel like this walk does not have as nice views of the Waikato as the walk in the CBD, but it is nice nonetheless and you can walk all the way to Hamilton Gardens, if you are so inclined. Most of the walk is stroller-friendly, but there are several places with stairs (these could be tricky if you were walking alone with a stroller and had no help lifting it up and down the steps).

Beautiful walk, if you are out on the road to Whatawhata or Raglan. It's a short walk around the…read moremain track, but worth a visit to take in the regional tree varieties, even in winter. Redwoods, oaks, flowering trees, along with a China section and bamboo forest, just to name a few, reflect a global arboretum collection. Free entry. Modest but clean facilities. UV purified well water available (nonflouridated). Lots of chickens (which little ones seem to love ). Nice trails (~90 minute including return).

I had so much fun on this Trek and the scenery is unbelievable! Nicole was a great guide and told…read moreme all about the family farm while we were riding. I really enjoyed getting to see the farm animals up close and Nicole's pup Luke was a fun addition to the Trek. We took a quick break by the stream and her homemade German bread was a nice touch! My horse Sally was beautiful, and a bit of a troublemaker searching for food, but she was also safe and easy to ride! I would definitely recommend this horse trek as it is the perfect way to enjoy the NZ scenery!