Over the years, the traditional image of the Waikato region as a purely dairy farming area has changed. Entrepreneurs and business titans alike have made their homes in the region and this stunning, verdant heart of New Zealand is humming with optimism. Outside the main centre of Hamilton, other smaller towns such as Te Awamutu, Raglan and Cambridge are growing and booming. On this 5 Day tour we’ll discover and celebrate some amazing ventures going on in the heart of the Waikato countryside and meet the people behind this new wave of growth. And we’ll also enjoy some of the magnificent natural wonders this region has to offer.
Day 1: Heading north from Hawke’s Bay, we’ll call in to Hobbiton Movie Set to see the brand-new amazing hobbit hole ‘interiors’ recently created to match the glorious exterior views throughout fictitious Bag End. Then it’s on to Cambridge and the excellent Hidden Lake Hotel, our base for the next 4 nights.
Day 2: Our first destination is the vibrant coastal town of Raglan where generations of creatives and alternative-lifestylers have made their home. A morning cruise on the Raglan Harbour and up Tawatahi River provides a different perspective on this lovely seaside town. Our lunch stop couldn’t be more of a contrast. The Jukebox Diner with its Americana atmosphere is the perfect introduction to one of the finest collections of classic and vintage cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia you’ll ever see. This afternoon we head to leafy Gordonton to visit possibly the largest alpaca stud in the country. Breeding lines, all over the world, for this beautiful animal are being led by Cornerstone Alpacas and we’ll get up close and feed these calm, curious animals, their babies (called Cria) and some cheeky llamas as well. Good for the soul.
Day 3: A very special day today. Our first visit is to dairy farmer Pete Morgan on his farm west of Te Awamutu. Pete and his wife Ann have farmed this beautiful rolling country for 20 years and they’re renowned in dairy circles for championing new technology on their farm. Watch as Pete creates virtual fences in paddocks, moves stock around, and tracks their health and productivity, all simply by using an app on his phone. You’ll be amazed. This afternoon we have the rare privilege of visiting what many consider NZ’s pre-eminent thoroughbred horse stud. Home of legendary stallions ‘Sir Tristram’ and ‘Zabeel’, Cambridge Stud has, more than any other horse stud, put the NZ bloodstock industry on the world map. We’ll visit this incredible facility which includes their magnificent Heritage Centre. What a day!
Day 4: This morning, we visit Takapoto Estate which is 600 acres that run along 3kms of Lake Karapiro. Here the Plaw family have planted nearly a million native trees and plants providing a thriving eco-system to compliment the neighbouring Sanctuary Mountain. We’ll enjoy morning tea and a tour of the magnificent gardens and grounds. After a wonderful slap-up picnic lunch beside the historic Arapuni Suspension Bridge, we drop in next door for a tour of the wonderful birdlife sanctuary that is Maungatautari Mountain.
Day 5: We begin our gradual journey homeward with a visit to Hodderville Farms which covers nearly 2,500 acres and milk about the same number of dairy cows. We’ll have morning tea with them in their beautifully restored Edwardian buildings and hear about their philosophy of a circular economy. We’ll also visit their plant nursery which specializes in native plants for riparian and reforestation planting. A little further down the road we’ll visit a ‘forest free range farm’ which has been developed to home 320,000 hens that free range in the forest’s 90,000 trees and roost in eight giant sheds. The sheer size of the place means most of the farm is highly automated.
This tour is an opportunity to get out into the glorious green countryside and visit some truly innovative and captivating destinations, both man-made and natural. With welcoming people and wonderful vistas this tour has everything!
