Theme Week New Zealand – Hamilton

28 April 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Hamilton centre from Hillcrest © Nzwj/cc-by-sa-3.0

Hamilton centre from Hillcrest © Nzwj/cc-by-sa-3.0

Hamilton (Māori: Kirikiriroa) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of 179,900, it is the country’s fourth most-populous city. Encompassing a land area of about 110 km² (42 sq mi), Hamilton is part of the wider Hamilton Urban Area, which also encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia, Te Awamutu and Cambridge. In 2020, Hamilton was awarded the title of most beautiful large city in New Zealand.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – Palmerston North

26 April 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Palmerston North with Tararua Range in the background © Mover85/cc-by-sa-3.0

Palmerston North with Tararua Range in the background © Mover85/cc-by-sa-3.0

Palmerston North (Māori: Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manawatu River, 35 km (22 mi) from the river’s mouth, and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatu Gorge, about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington. Palmerston North is the country’s eighth-largest urban area, with an urban population of 81,200 (June 2022). The estimated population of Palmerston North city is 90,400 (June 2022).   read more…

Devonport in New Zealand

13 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Devonport and Waitemata Harbour from Mount Victoria © Follash

Devonport and Waitemata Harbour from Mount Victoria © Follash

Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. East of Devonport lies North Head, the northern promontory guarding the mouth of the harbour. The suburb hosts the Devonport Naval Base of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the main facility for the country’s naval vessels, but is best known for its harbourside dining and drinking establishments and its heritage charm. Devonport has been compared to Sausalito, California, US due to its setting and scenery.   read more…

Waitemata Harbour in Auckland

28 April 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© flickr.com - Bengt Nyman/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Bengt Nyman/cc-by-2.0

Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour. With an area of 70 square miles (180 km²), it connects the city’s main port and the Auckland waterfront to the Hauraki Gulf and the Pacific Ocean. It is sheltered from Pacific storms by Auckland’s North Shore, Rangitoto Island, and Waiheke Island.   read more…

Matamata in New Zealand

19 August 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Hobbiton sign in Matamata © Michael Goetter/cc-by-sa-2.5

Hobbiton sign in Matamata © Michael Goetter/cc-by-sa-2.5

Matamata is a town in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes in the surrounding rural areas as well as Morrinsville and Te Aroha. State Highway 27 and the Kinleith Branch railway run through the town. The town has a population of 7,910 as of June 2019.   read more…

Theme Week New Zealand – Napier, the Art Deco Capital of the World

28 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  6 minutes

ASB Bank and T & G building © Pseudopanax

ASB Bank and T & G building © Pseudopanax

Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke’s Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about 58,800 as of the June 2011 estimate. About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called “The Twin Cities” or “The Bay Cities” of New Zealand. The total population of the metropolitan area of Napier and Hastings is about 122,600 people, which makes Napier-Hastings the fifth-largest metropolitan area in New Zealand, closely followed by Tauranga (pop. 116,000), and Dunedin (pop. 115,000), and trailing Hamilton (pop. 203,400).   read more…

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