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Introduction:
Hamilton is a popular tourist destination in New Zealand and its fourth largest urban area. It is located in North Island and is known for a pleasant all-year-round climate and very warm and welcoming
locals. The city, in fact New Zealand’s seventh largest, is vibrant and diverse. The thriving business and night life in Hamilton is a perfect blend of vigour and energy. The bustling city that
stretches beyond the magnificent Waikato River to the sensational Hamilton Gardens and a number of lakes and golf courses flaunts a relaxed, easy lifestyle. Hamilton is every vacationer’s paradise and
provides the perfect leisure environment.
The city is home to a number of ethnic groups, and this wonderful uniqueness of the city has given it a cosmopolitan appeal. The inner city’s flavour is further accentuated by the exciting night life
that the locals and the tourists enjoy together. The cafes, pubs and restaurants in Hamilton are a cultural mix. Hamilton has a population of 131,000 people from different cultures and nearly half the
residents of Hamilton are within the youth group! The city flaunts 135 parks and over 50 sports arenas. The city of Hamilton is activity personified and promises tourists all year round ‘never a dull
moment’! The beauty of the natural landscape around is doubled with the beauty that exudes from the locals in their more than accommodating nature and diverse culture and heritage.
Tourist Attractions:
The city centre of Hamilton is a major shopping area. The bustling retail outlets and the vibrant entertainment area add up to the Hamilton experience that tourists talk about. With the large student
population, Hamilton has a number of cafés, where tourists and the students hang out. The epithets ‘cowtown’ and ‘city of the future’ are in contrast, but add to the rustic charm of Hamilton. The city
area has recently been developed into a number of well planned lifestyle blocks.
The bronze statue of former resident Richard O’Brien as Riff Raff is designed by the WETA Workshops and a hub for tourists and the local youth. The statue is the creation from the same craftsmanship
that went into Lord of the Rings. The Embassy Cinema is a very popular entertainment ring too; in Hamilton. The city of Hamilton flaunts a large number of viewing galleries and the famous Waikato
Museum. The museum has exhibits from the pre-colonization era.
The Hamilton Gardens is the most popular tourist attraction and other local attractions include the zoo, the Arts Post art gallery and the casino ‘Sky City’. The home of Māori King Paki is just a
twenty minute drive away and you could get an audience! There are 6 public libraries for the voracious readers, throughout the city. The largest of them is the Central Library. The Hamilton City
theatres provide professional event management at the Founders Theatre, Clarence St Theatre and Meteor theatre. The Hamilton New Zealand Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
the Church College of New Zealand were built by labour missionaries. The Temple flaunts a large lighting show every Christmas, quite a festival of sorts, which attracts a number of tourists and large
local crowds.
Events:
The city of Hamilton is replete with events all year round. In January, there is the Parachute Music Festival. The Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival springs to life in February, while street car racing
adds to the temper in April. The hot balloon festival is another attraction in the month of April. In June, August and September, the National Agricultural Fieldays, World Rally Championship and the
Hamilton Underground Film Festival, respectively, attract tourists to Hamilton.
Restaurants:
The popular restaurants in Hamilton cater to varied tastes and quality service. The ambience differs from one venue to the other, but the level of hospitality and the quality of ingredients used in
the food is maintained within the paradigms set by the F&B Inspection Department. The catering could be further personalized to fit individual tastes, by taking the chefs in confidence. Most of the
restaurants are geared for the children accompanying guests and incapacitated elders. Some of the popular fine dining experiences comes from:
• Aqua Velvet Kitchen
• Charmers Bar
• Café Strata
• One ZB
• Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
• Chambers Restaurant and Bar
• Zigilinis Café Delicatessen
Hotels and Accommodation:
Some of the good hotel accommodations available in Hamilton include:
• The Ambassador Motor Inn Hamilton
• Asure Hotel
• Boundary Court Motor Inn
• Kingsgate Hotel
• Le Grand Boutique Hotel
• Novotel Tainui
• Quality Inn
Visit Hamilton hotels - instant reservation service!
The hotels in Hamilton offer tourists the best package deals in the hospitality industry and the best of amenities like room service, travel desk services, in house laundry, restaurants, swimming
pool, well furnished rooms, hot shower etc. The hotels in Hamilton cater to guests from all over the world and hence, the staffs are versatile and very accommodating. The rooms are well maintained and
the furnishings are adopted to offer you the ‘home away from home’ feel.
Outdoor activities:
As a tourist, you can join the local youth in the splash of red, yellow and black hoops of the local rugby teams and Mooloo, an anthropomorphic cow, who is the official mascot, at the Waikato stadium.
You could also be lucky enough to be a part of the cricket mania at Seddon Park, Hamilton's main cricket ground. Hamilton is also a great motorsport venue. Beside these, the travel desks at the hotels
are well equipped to tie up with local city guides and help you to access the great outdoors via mountaineering, river rafting, snorkelling, trekking or sky diving.
The travel desk services at the various hotels in Hamilton cater to your every request for hands on training or indulgence in an outdoor activity. They ensure the best package deal and real value for
your investment. They even arrange for transportation to ensure a hassle free shopping experience in Hamilton and a great vacation. You could also simply choose to browse around the quaint little
shops for curios and souvenirs to take back home, for family and friends. |
