Experience the best of Hamilton

Hamilton straddles the Waikato River, the longest in New Zealand, which curves through the city between grassy banks and walking paths. It began as a military settlement in the 1860s and is now the country's largest inland city. The Hamilton Gardens, a series of themed gardens drawn from different cultures and eras, are the best-known sight, and the Waikato Museum faces the river.

Farmland and small towns spread out from the city. Cambridge, known for its tree-lined streets and horse studs, lies south-east along the river, and the surf beaches of Raglan are to the west. The limestone caves and glow-worms of Waitomo are about an hour's drive to the south, and the geothermal pools and parks of Rotorua lie farther east.

The Waikato is New Zealand's dairy heartland, so cheese, ice cream and flat whites turn up everywhere, and the riverside cafés are a fixture of weekends. As a university city, Hamilton has a young, relaxed feel. Winters are cool and misty, and the green, mild months of summer suit river walks.