Location

Located in Gordonton, the home is 15 minutes’ drive from Hamilton and within 30 minutes of Morrinsville, Cambridge and Matamata. Hamilton is home to the Chiefs and the V8's as well as Field Days. Hamilton is a beautiful river city with plenty of café culture, if you can find it in you to drag yourself away from your lovely accommodation.

Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately 130 km (80 mi) south of Auckland. It sits at a major road and rail nexus in the centre of the Waikato basin, on both banks of the Waikato River. Initially an agricultural service centre, it now has a growing and diverse economy and is the second fastest growing urban area in New Zealand.[4] Education and research and development play an important part in Hamilton's economy, as the city is home to approximately 40,000 tertiary students and 1,000 PhD scientists.

Climate

Hamilton has a temperate, damp climate, with about 1,184 mm (46.6 in) of rainfall annually. Daily maximum temperatures range from about 22° to 26 °C (72°–79 °F) in January and February to 10° to 15 °C (50°–59 °F) in July and August. Summer occasionally sees temperatures of more than 30 °C (86 °F), while on clear winter mornings temperatures may drop to as low as −5 °C (23 °F). Ground frosts are common but snow however is practically unknown. Typically summers are warm and dry and winters cool and wet. Average sunshine hours are 2150 hours PA, which is very high by UK standards (highest in SE England −1600hours PA).

Museums and Theatre The city is host to a large number of small galleries and the Waikato Museum. The latter includes Te Winika, one of the best-preserved waka (Māori war canoe) from the pre-colonisation era.

Music Hamilton is host to several music festivals including the Soundscape Music Festival and the Parachute Festival. The city also hosts the Opus Chamber Orchestra which draws musicians from around the Waikato Region[26] and is the home of the New Zealand Chamber Soloists[27]. An ongoing classical concert series featuring world class musicians[28] is held throughout the year at the Gallagher Concert Chamber, organised by the University of Waikato, Conservatorium of Music.

Events

• January: Parachute music festival
• January: Summer in Garden Place
• February:Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival
• February: Couch soup festival
• February: Chinese Lantern Festival
• March: Music Festival
• March: Indigo Festival
• April: Hamilton 400, V8 Supercars street race
• April: Balloons over Waikato hot air ballooning festival
• May: Hamilton Circle Jerk music event
• June: Hamilton Fuel Festival
• July: Soundscape – music festival
• August: World Rally Championship
• August: International Film Festival
• September: The great race
• October: New Zealand Ethnic Soccer Festival
• November: Bridge to Bridge waterskiing event

Upcoming Rugby World Cup

Friday 16th September: ALL BLACKS vs JAPAN
Sunday 18th September: WALES vs SAMOA
Sunday 2nd October: Wales vs Fiji For further information about events and things to do in Waikato Region, please visit www.visithamilton.co.nz.