VictoriaMay 5
The gateway to the Central North Island, Hamilton, is called Kirikiriroa in Maori, and is NZ’s largest inland city, straddling the Waikato River.
Kirikiriroa means long stretch of gravel and refers to the area on the west bank of the Waikato River, which was home to several Māori villages, including Kirikiriroa, Te Parapara, Pukete, and Miropiko. The name also references the area’s rich soils, which support productive gardens. More on that in a moment.
But first, sleeping in someone’s comfortable house is the next best thing to sleeping in your own! We had a great night sleep on the most comfortable bed and pillows of our trip. After we made a plan for the day, Michael and Lucinda took us on a driving tour of the city. We grabbed brunch at Gather Food House before heading off to Hamilton Gardens, a popular attraction featuring 20 or so gardens of different themes and design.
We sauntered through the Chinese Scholars’ Garden, Modernist Garden, Japanese Garden of Contemplation, Italian Renaissance Garden, Tudor Garden, Surrealist Garden, Māori Garden and the Mansfield Garden, highlighting the NZ author’s famous story ‘The Garden Party.’
From there Mitch and I made a quick trip to the west coast town of Raglan, known for its surf and black sand beaches. We didn’t see any surfing as the beaches were outside of town, but we thought the town had a cool, relaxed vibe.
We got on the road before sunset and drove back to Hamilton.
Unfortunately, Michael got an ER call for a 911 eye surgery for one of his patients, so he couldn’t join us for dinner. Lucinda, Mitch and I headed to Babaganush. It was an excellent Turkish restaurant that rounded out the day.
When we got home, Michael was back from work, so we talked late into the night enjoying tea and homemade cake.
