Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.hamiltongardens.co.nz
;
Cobham Dr; enclosed sector 7.30am-5pm, info centre 9am-5pm)
Hamilton Gardens, spread over 50 hectares, incorporates a large park, cafe, restaurant and
extravagant themed enclosed gardens. There are separate Italian Renaissance, Chinese,
Japanese, English, American and Indian gardens complete with colonnades, pagodas and
a mini Taj Mahal. Equally interesting are the sustainable Productive Garden Collection, a
fragrant herb garden and the precolonisation Maori Te Parapara garden. Look for the im-
pressive
Nga Uri O Hinetuparimaunga
(Earth Blanket) sculpture at the main gates. The
gardens are southeast of Hamilton city centre.
Waikato Museum
(
www.waikatomuseum.co.nz
;
1 Grantham St; free-$6.50; 10am-4.30pm)
The excellent Waikato Museum
has five main areas: an art gallery; interactive science galleries; Tainui galleries housing
Maori treasures, including the magnificently carved
waka taua
(war canoe),
Te
Winikawaka;
a Hamilton history exhibition entitled 'Never a Dull Moment'; and a
Waikato River exhibition. The museum also runs a rigorous program of public events. Ad-
mission is charged for some exhibits.
MUSEUM
Waikato River
MAP
RIVER, PARK
GOOGLE MAP
Bush-covered riverside walkways run along both sides of the river and provide the city's
green belt. Jogging paths continue to the boardwalk circling Lake Rotoroa, west of the
centre. Memorial Park is closer to town, and has the remains of
PS Rangiriri
- an iron-
clad, steam-powered gunboat from the Waikato War - embedded in the riverbank.
Riff Raff
(
www.riffraffstatue.org
; Victoria St; )
One of Hamilton's more unusual public artworks is a life-
size statue of
Rocky Horror Picture Show
writer Richard O'Brien, aka Riff Raff, the time-
warping alien from the planet Transsexual. It looks over a small park on the site of the
former Embassy Theatre where O'Brien worked as a hairdresser, though it's hard to ima-
gine 1960s Hamilton inspired the tale of bisexual alien decadence. Free wi-fi emanates
from Riff Raff's three-pronged stun gun.
MONUMENT
ArtsPost
GALLERY
