The city of Hamilton on New Zealand's North Island is a young, passionate, ambitious city with a warm and welcoming spirit, rich history and vast range of natural wonders just waiting to be explored. There are a magnificent range of parks and gardens throughout the city, a thriving cultural precinct and the range of leisure activities is second to none.

Most of the north island's attractions can be reached by a short day trip from Hamilton. This laid back city is only a short 1.5 hour drive from the big city lifestyle of Auckland. In fact nearly 1.5 million people or 40% of New Zealand's population live within a 250km radius of Hamilton. The city lies at the centre of a major rail and road network and the city's airport has recently been upgraded to service international flights. This makes it an ideal place to visit on a campervan hire New Zealand holiday.

Education and research are vitally important to the city. The University of Waikato and the Waikato Institute of Technology attract approximately 25,000 students to the city. The night life is a vibrant mix of fine dining, cafes and bars which are steadily developing a reputation to rival Auckland.

The mighty Waikato River flows directly through the middle of Hamilton and provides much of the life force of the region. The river runs from Lake Taupo to Port Waikato which is approximately an 18 hour journey. It is the longest river in New Zealand at 423 km in length. The region surrounding Hamilton is rich in cultural diversity and charming countryside towns set amongst lush rolling green hills. It provides a scenic background to a driving tour in one of our campervan rentals.

The Waikato River provides a great deal of electricity to New Zealand. There are 8 hydro-electric dams along the length of the river which generate approximately 4,000 gigawatt hours of electricity per year which is roughly 13% of New Zealand's total electricity consumption. The 8 manmade lakes created by the power stations are now popular places for recreational fishing, boating and swimming. Visitors on a campervan hire holiday are spoilt for choice.

Whether you stay in Hamilton city or visit some of the surrounding areas we believe you will enjoy your stay in this picturesque region.

Cambridge

This is a stunning tree lined town that is filled with English architecture and history. It is the centre of the equine industry and features the Equine Stars Walk of Fame featuring mosaics of famous horses paved into the streets. It also has a range of antique shops, art galleries and a bourgeoning cafe culture.

Raglan

This west coast harbour town features black sand (from the high iron content), swimming beaches and one of the longest left hand surf breaks in the southern hemisphere. The locals enjoy activities such as sea kayaking, kite surfing, paragliding, horse trekking and bush walking. Raglan has a vibrant arts and crafts community, and a range of relaxing cafes and live music venues.

A visit to Raglan will provide you with complete peace and tranquility. Campervan hire travellers can stay on the peninsula in the Raglan Harbour almost entirely surrounded by water. This virtual island has a range of facilities that will make your holiday as fun and relaxing as possible.

Huntly

This small town is only 30 minutes north of Hamilton and 1 hour south of Auckland. It is close to native forest and and a series of interconnected waterways and lakes. It makes an ideal destination for a spot of yachting, water skiing, windsurfing and canoeing. The local caravan park provides a lovely, scenic spot for staying over night in the your motorhome hire vehicle before exploring more of the region.

Kawhia

This charming harbour town on the west coast lies to the south of Raglan on the other side of the Pirongia Forest Park. While the two towns are not connected by roads they both provide stunning scenery and a relaxed natural setting for an enjoyable campervan rental holiday. Fishing is extremely popular and the hot water spring on Ocean Beach is also worth a visit.

Matamata

Nestled at the foot of the Kaimai Ranges this rural town is known for its thoroughbred industry, dairy farming and historic Firth Tower Museum. Since the launch of the Lord of the Rings movie and subsequent opening of Hobbiton Movie Set & Farm Tours, Matamata attracts even more visitors. The surrounding areas are also popular with anglers, the Waiteti Trout stream is an absolute must see for anyone who fancies themself a keen fisherman. There is even a caravan park located on the banks of this stream providing an enviable holiday destination for campervan hire holiday makers

Morrinsville

This pleasant rural service town lends itself to the cafe culture. The main street has a number of retail outlets including an international fashion designer's shop. The Recreation Ground has a scenic river walk, 50m solar heated outdoor swimming pool, polo field and tennis courts.

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