Where we are

The Waikato region covers an area of about 25,000 square kilometres, neighbouring Auckland to the north and the Central Plateau to the south. It includes New Zealand’s longest river – the Waikato, plus internationally significant wetlands, and over 1000 kilometres of beautiful coastline its eastern and western sides.

Today the Waikato region includes well established farming, manufacturing and service industries, and is the headquarters of international companies such as Fonterra and Gallaghers, and famous for its annual Fieldays farming expo and its innovative themed botanical gardens.

At the centre of Waikato is New Zealand’s fourth largest city – Hamilton. Great cafes and bars, shopping malls, river walks, an amazing museum, open spaces and its own lake.

Hamilton prides itself as a centre of education with a wide range of public and private schools, the University of Waikato, Wintec tertiary institute of technology, Te Wananga o Aotearoa (a kaupapa Maori tertiary institute) and of course Waikato Hospital which is a large tertiary and teaching hospital.

And right across the Waikato are numerous smaller towns with distinctive character to explore or to live in.

Acknowledging the Tangata whenua – the original people of this place

The Waikato region is the ancestral home of many Māori iwi (tribes) that trace back to the voyagers on the Tainui waka (canoe) who arrived here in the 13th century. In the town of Ngaruawahia, north of Hamilton, is Turangawaewae Marae, the official residence of the head of the Kingitanga (Māori King Movement) - the current Māori King, Tuheitia Paki.

How do you say our name?

Waikato is Māori word traditionally translated as "owing water" (wai = "water" and kato = "the pull of the river current"). The correct pronunciation of Waikato is “Why-cut-or”