hamilton is the only of nz's large cities which is not located at the coast. i've visited it july 1989 and again in july 2023, then as part of a trip to hamilton, cambridge, whanganui and palmerston-north.
hamilton is named after an english officer. the city, which has a population of 180 000, sits on both sides of the river waikato.
the area had been settled by maori tribes for a long time. british settlers arrived 1830.
travellers will notice that many buildings are quite colourful.
hamilton has a very impressive public park full of art, and several museums, including the waikato museum.
the university of waikato was established 1964 in hamilton.it's not 'high ranking', yet one of nz's largest universities.
its buildings are located around a little lake, and include a lot of modern architecture.
in 1989, july to december, i was invited to a 6-months guest-professorship at the psychology department. both lecturing there, as well as travelling, north island and south island, were highly enjoyable..
of my colleagues from my 1989 visit, only 2 were still around - in cambridge though, not in hamilton. so i travelled there, met them, and we had dinner in a church which has been converted into an excellent restaurant!
and in cambridge is a very special facility, a high-class velodrome, nz's only one - which is indeed spectacular.
finally, here is the cute public clock of cambridge.
to sum up - - well, neither hamilton nor cambridge are 'hyper-exciting' - yet they have features which one won't get anywhere else in nz, so both are worth a visit!
