Even if damp, dark tunnels sound like your idea of hell, take a chill pill and head to Waitomo anyway. These limestone caves with accompanying geological formations and glowing bugs are deservedly one of the premier attractions of the North Island.
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If the colour green had a homeland this would be it. Verdant fields give way to rolling hills in the countryside around New Zealand’s mightiest river, the Waikato. Visitors from southern England might wonder why they bothered leaving home, especially in quaint towns like Cambridge where every effort has been made to replicate the ‘mother country’. It’s little wonder that Peter Jackson chose the Waikato as the bucolic Shire in his movie adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
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Holding good claim to the title of NZ’s rural heartland, this is the kind of no-nonsense place that raises cattle and All Blacks. A bastion of independent Maoridom, it was never conquered in the war against the King Movement. The story goes that King Tawhiao placed his hat on a large map of NZ and declared that all the land it covered would remain under his mana (authority), and the region was effectively off limits to Europeans until 1883.
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Cute little Te Kuiti nestles in a valley between picturesque hills. It doesn’t so much have a gimmick as an odd claim to fame: welcome to the shearing capital of the world! You won’t have any doubt as to the veracity of that statement if you’re here for the Great New Zealand Muster (late March/early April) and its legendary Running of the Sheep. Pamplona’s got nothing on the sight of over 2000 woolly demons stampeding down the main street. The festival includes sheep-shearing championships, a parade, Maori cultural performances, live music, barbecues, hangi (feast from an oven in the ground) and lots of market stalls.
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Te Awamutu (which means ‘The River Cut Short’; the Waikato beyond this point was unsuitable for large canoes) is a service town for dairy farmers. It’s got a pleasant main street and a decent museum, but unless you’re a Finn fan you’ll probably be content to stop here on your way somewhere else. It does, reputedly, have the best toilets in NZ.
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Te Aroha has a good vibe. You could even say that it’s got ‘the love’, which is the literal meaning of the name. Nestled at the foot of bush-clad 952m-high Mt Te Aroha, it’s a good base for bushwalking or ‘taking the waters’ in the therapeutic hot springs.
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Maybe Taumarunui should get a gimmick, as this little town can feel a bit grim. The main reason to stay here is to kayak on the Whanganui River or as a cheaper base for skiing in Tongariro National Park.
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Raglan may well be NZ’s perfect surfing town. It’s small enough to have escaped mass development – perhaps due to a mainstream Kiwi preference for the safer white-sand east-coast beaches – yet it’s big enough for a bit of bustle. There are several good eateries and a bar that attracts big-name bands in summer.
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A pint-sized village where all the street names start with ‘O’, Owhango makes a cosy base for walkers, mountain bikers (the 42 Traverse ends here) and skiers who can’t afford to stay closer to the slopes. Take Omaki Rd for a two-hour loop walk through virgin forest in Ohinetonga Scenic Reserve.
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One of several nondescript North Island towns to adopt a gimmick (we’re looking at you Tirau, Paeroa, Katikati, Bulls and Hobbiton, sorry, Matamata), Otorohanga (Oto to his mates) has a main street lined with cherished icons of Kiwiana. You’ll learn about sheep, gumboots, jandals, No 8 wire, All Blacks, the beloved Buzzy Bee children’s toy and – bravely risking fisticuffs with the Australian Country Women’s Association – the pavlova (a creamy meringue dessert). Gimmicks aside, the Kiwi House is well worth a visit.
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