#waikato — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #waikato, aggregated by home.social.
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#HamiltonNZ - #TeParaparaGarden: Explore the Captivating Māori Cultural Experience in Hamilton
Updated August 2025
"At the #HamiltonGardens,Te Parapara Garden, nestled within the renowned Hamilton Gardens in Hamilton, New Zealand, offers a captivating glimpse into Māori cultural heritage. Recognized as the only complete pre-European-style Māori horticultural garden in the world, it showcases the traditions of the #NgātiWairere people. As you wander through, you’ll encounter authentic structures and native plants that reflect ancient gardening practices and a profound connection to the land. The garden also provides educational experiences and guided tours, inviting you to delve into the rich history and spirituality of this cultural treasure.
Major Highlights of Te Parapara Garden
- Te Parapara Garden showcases traditional Māori gardening practices, emphasizing deep cultural significance and ancestral ties to the #Waikato region.
- Unique structures like the #Waharoa (gateway) and #Pātaka (#storehouse) highlight traditional Māori architecture and storytelling through intricate carvings.
- Seasonal displays of vibrant flora and educational programs enrich the visitor experience throughout the year in Hamilton Gardens.
- Guided tours and workshops offer insights into ancient horticultural skills and sustainable practices rooted in Māori culture.
- The serene environment and well-designed pathways create a peaceful space for reflection, celebrating Māori heritage in a unique setting."#SolarPunkSunday #MāoriGardens
#CulturalRestoration #TeParapara #CulturalPreservation #IndigenousKnowledge
#Aotearoa #Gardens #NewZealand -
#Otumuheke Stream in #Taupo in New Zealand is a historical #Maori bathing and meeting place where a small hot stream flows into the #Waikato River. A nice place to #relax . #NewZealand https://backpackandsnorkel.com/Taupo/#otumuheke
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#Otumuheke Stream in #Taupo in New Zealand is a historical #Maori bathing and meeting place where a small hot stream flows into the #Waikato River. A nice place to #relax . #NewZealand https://backpackandsnorkel.com/Taupo/#otumuheke
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Waikato veganic market gardener Sarah Oliver shows how to grow food without animals https://www.allforgardening.com/1680270/waikato-veganic-market-gardener-sarah-oliver-shows-how-to-grow-food-without-animals/ #always #animals #approved #challenging #every #food #garden #gardener #gardening #grow #Grown #how? #landlords #Market #often #oliver #PROPERTY #Rented #sarah #Shows #to #veganic #Waikato #which? #Without
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A year or so back I posted a photo of a tree by the Waikato river that had been pushed over on it's side in a big storm. I wondered if it would survive.
Well, I have good news. Despite being horizontal, it sprouted a healthy crop of foliage in spring, and seems to be thriving. Which I'm really happy about, since I love to sit with my back against its upright roots, either on its trunk or on the ground next to it, and gaze out over the river.
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While large parts of the North Island are getting wet, parts of the Waikato are experiencing one of those "One in 100 year" rainfall events.
Stay safe out there, people.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360937669/new-zealand-weather-live-blog
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Not only did we find ourselves back in NZ, but back in a van—albeit for a short tour in North Island this time.
👀 More? See https://curiositydrive.org/2026/01/24/north-island-down-the-middle/
#auckland #camperVan #coromandel #hiking #manawatu #motorhome #nature #newZealand #nomad #northland #roadTrip #rv #travel #vanLife #waikato #wairarapa #wellington
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Time for a short (adapted) story?
Once upon a time a boy & girl sought out the Waihou River—but it was *too 🧊 cold* for a swim (& discouraged). Te Waihou Walkway from Whites Rd 🅿️ is 4km one way on a well-made path lined with the burgundy flowers of Himalayan honeysuckle, offering multiple views of the clear waters in which watercress & other aquatic plants sway (📷1). The 11° waters of the Te Puna | Blue Spring spend 50–100 years underground on their journey from the Mamaku Plateau, during which time aquifers filter out light-absorbing particles to imbue the pure water with its blue-green hue (📷2); it’s the source of 70% of NZ’s bottled water.
Grateful for having arrived at 0830h in the now overwhelmed 🅿️, the pair moved on, taking the scenic route through the Waikite Valley to arrive at Waikite Hot Pools—but the water was *too ♨️ hot* (& entry fee > 5 nights in an NZMCA Park). Fed by Te Manaroa Spring discharging ~40–50 L per second of almost boiling water (📷3), it needs cooling before bathing use.
Onward the couple went, until they came to Kerosene Creek (Hakereteke Stream) nr. Maunga Kākaramea. Here they sighed, as the water was *just right*. The access road was in poor condition, yet the reward… rarely do you lower yourself into a stream in #nature slowly because it’s a tad too warm (📷4)!
🇳🇿#newZealand #nz #waikato 🚀#travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾#hiking
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We’d never been to Te Aroha (in Māori “the love”). The township arose with the opening of goldfields in 1880, but when those failed it relied for a time on hot springs as a spa town. Visitors can still buy access to mineral pools; Mōkena Geyser was on an extended summer break. Like many NZ small towns, Te Aroha has seen better days, but a heritage trail explores noteworthy architectural remnants (📷1). In 27° we decided not to climb the Te Aroha peak looming over the town, highest in the Kaimai Range at 953m; we instead followed the inland flank of the range SE. Wairere Falls nr. Gordon are North Island’s highest falls (153m tall) & had been on our POI list in 2022–24, but the track had closed due to rockfall risk. Sad to learn it was still closed, we wondered if the falls could be see from the road: indeed they can (📷2). The track is barricaded before reaching the viewing platforms, & thus delivers only a glimpse from closer by (📷3). However, on the return you can rest in the “International Seat of Peace”, installed by a local farmer to overlook “Paddock 66” & admire the farmscape beyond, incld. Te Tapui at 492m, around 22km distant to W of Matamata (📷4). There’s also a swimming hole beneath the bridge about 10min up the track.
🇳🇿#newZealand #nz #waikato 🚀#travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
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It’s nice revisiting a place & not having to do/ re-do the “main thing” that the masses have come for; we eschewed Cathedral Cove at Hahei. The #Coromandel settlement’s long beach is a fine specimen, deservedly popular on a summer’s day (📷1). We followed the beach to its end at Wigmore Stream. The lookout at Hereheretaura Pā on Te Pare Point Historic Reserve, set upon high cliffs at the southern end of the beach, is only 20min from the end of Pa Rd (or wade the stream from the beach). The track itself affords elevated views over the length of Hahei Beach (📷2). From the lookout/ pā terraces on the point there are commanding views NE beyond Mahurangi | Goat Island to the Mercury Islands, & SE to the Alderman Islands (📷3). You can also see up the coast to the vicinity of Cathedral Cove, marked by associated water taxi, kayak & other seagoing traffic (📷4).
🇳🇿#newZealand #nz #waikato 🚀#travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
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Called at Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve in the Firth of Thames, where intertidal mudflats attract Artic migrants in summer e.g. kuaka | bar-tailed godwit, seen here airborne together with NZ migrant tōrea | South Island pied oystercatcher (📷1). Another NZ migrant, this taranui | caspian tern had a catch in its beak (📷2); also saw year round residents e.g. tūturiwhatu | northern NZ dotterel & poaka | pied stilt. Drove on to Thames hoping for a bottle of colour-changing Awildian gin, but The Tasting Room were on summer break. Located on the gravel road over the #Coromandel Range linking Tapu to Coroglen, Rapaura Watergardens were created in the early 1960s by a German family; they offer a 2km trail through manicured pond-side planting & regenerating native bush with cascades (📷3). A short drive east on the same road is a 175m DOC track to a ~1,200 year old “Square Kauri”, although the squarish trunk of this forest giant is hard to appreciate in a 2D photo (📷4); the viewing platform also looks out to Maumaupaki | Camels Back at 822m.
🇳🇿#newZealand #waikato 🚀#travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
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Bryce Edwards is scathing of the Nats' decision to create a new Waikato medical school, after Treasury had been "remarkably consistent" in its advice the Waikato medical school was a "very bad idea".
"The Treasury documents reveal a government that had already decided its course of action and was simply seeking bureaucratic validation rather than genuine policy analysis.
"Clearly, the government was determined to stay aligned with the University of Waikato regardless of what evidence came up, while Treasury kept reviewing the evidence and siding with the universities of Otago and Auckland on their superior proposal."
But hey... you don't pay Stephen Joyce over a million dollars in consultation fees to have that thing you've paid for, not happen.
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Waikato Med School scandal
The ODT has obtained documents under the Official Information Act which show that Treasury "expressed a litany of concerns about the Waikato proposal."
Despite the Waikato proposal making no financial sense, the Luxon government ignored official advice and bunged $82m towards National supporter Quigley's pet project.
Green MP Francisco Hernandez says "This is yet another example of the government disregarding and setting aside good decision-making processes to benefit special interests".
I have no inside information and I'm only speculating here, but does anyone else sense a possible quid pro quo from National for Quigley's 'assistance' in pushing Adrian Orr out of the Reserve Bank?
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#Otumuheke Stream in #Taupo in New Zealand is a historical #Maori bathing and meeting place where a small hot stream flows into the #Waikato River. A nice place to #relax . #NewZealand https://backpackandsnorkel.com/Taupo/#otumuheke
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Lodge Rainforest River Retreat 🌱
The Lodge offers a unique bed and breakfast business and lifestyle set in 15 acres of stunning native rainforest in the Tourist Hotspot of the #Coromandel Peninsula. 🌳
The #Lodge is a one of a kind B&B popular with both international and domestic tourists. 😊
Rooms: 5
Living space: 200m²
Plot: 60.000m²
#Waikato #NewZealand 🇳🇿
1.600.000 €https://www.bluehomes.com/PNZ0023/en/Lodge-Rainforest-River-Retreat/expose.html
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#Otumuheke Stream in #Taupo in New Zealand is a historical #Maori bathing and meeting place where a small hot stream flows into the #Waikato River. A nice place to #relax . #NewZealand https://backpackandsnorkel.com/Taupo/#otumuheke
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#Otumuheke Stream in #Taupo in New Zealand is a historical #Maori bathing and meeting place where a small hot stream flows into the #Waikato River. A nice place to #relax . #NewZealand https://backpackandsnorkel.com/Taupo/#otumuheke
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Waikato medical school "business" case dodgy documents dumped at 6:45pm on a Friday night.
Unsurprisingly, the "cost benefit analysis" suggests it will be cheaper to build a brand new medical school and run it for 120 students, than to absorb those students using existing capacity in the Dunedin and Auckland med schools.
Sounds dodgy as to me.
Remember that Waikato's Neil Quigley threw over a million dollars to former National MP Stephen Joyce for "consultancy" services. Pre-election Quigley announced his proposed new school as "a present to National."
Joyce is famous for his inaccurate calculations and this feels like an in-house National party pay off.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/campus/new-med-school-save-50m-year-govt-claims
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Every time they have to choose between good and bad ideas, Luxon's increasingly loose coalition always chooses the worst option.
They've green-lit a medical school for Waikato, fulfilling Quigley's investment of over one million dollars in Steven Joyce's "consultancy" services.
We already have enough capacity in our existing med schools.
Treasury earlier this year rubbished the plans as "unaffordable" and "rushed".
But the Nats went ahead anyway... because nods & winks and money for the good old boys.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/govt-go-ahead-new-waikato-medical-school-rnz