Hamilton is New Zealand's fourth-largest city, straddling the Waikato River in the heart of the North Island's dairy country. It is not a major tourist destination, but it is a useful base for exploring the Waikato region — the Waitomo Caves, Hobbiton, and the Coromandel Peninsula are all within easy driving distance.
The city itself is a university town (the University of Waikato is here) with a growing cafe and restaurant scene concentrated around Victoria Street and Hood Street. The Hamilton Gardens, on the south bank of the river, are the highlight — a series of themed gardens that include Italian Renaissance, Japanese, and Maori designs, all beautifully maintained and free to visit.
The Waikato River walk runs for several kilometres through the centre of town and makes for a pleasant stroll. The Waikato Museum on the riverbank has a good collection of Tainui Maori taonga (treasures) and hosts regular exhibitions. Hamilton is about 90 minutes south of Auckland on the Waikato Expressway.