Hamilton may be one of the fastest growing cities in the country, but there are still many lovely natural spots to explore to escape all the urban hustle and bustle. Below are five nature spots in Hamilton that are favorites of mine.

Taitua Arboretum

Taitua Arboretum is an expansive 22 hectare space filled with hundreds of trees, from towering redwoods to young saplings just poking out from the leaf litter. The Arboretum was gifted to the city by Bunny and John Mortimer in 1997. They started planting trees on the land in the 70s, using seeds and cuttings that they collected around the world. Walking around the forest, you are towered over by a diverse range of trees, from the Australian eucalyptus tree to the funky, monkey puzzle trees that hail from Chile and Argentina originally.

There are also tens upon tens of roosters and chickens to become acquainted with during your walk. They are everywhere at Taitua Arboretum. From the carpark to roosting in the trees, to simply following you as you walk around, a fowl shadow. See what I did there.

Tills Landing

I only recently discovered this spot and I am glad I did. Located in the middle of Hamilton suburbia, is this lil secret gem. Tills Landing offers beautiful vistas of the surrounding manguas and rolling hills, you can even see the slowly turning wind turbines out at Te Uku Wind Farm.

As the sun sets, the place can really put on a show with beautiful colours streaking across the sky.

There are a few park benches to settle on to watch the sun go down and I feel like this is the perfect place to come and find some peace in the middle of urban life.

You can even walk to Taitua Arboretum from here, which takes around 30 minutes.

The Lake

How could I mention Hamilton nature spots, without giving a shout out to lake Rotorua or the Lake Domain. The lake is a mecca for wildlife, from the honking geese to raptor like pukekos, there are many awesome birds to see during your visit.

The walk around the lake is roughly 3.8 kilometres and you will walk past some diverse lakeside vegetation, playgrounds, a sailing club, and the Verandah Cafe, which is a great place to sit back and enjoy a coffee after all that walking.

There are heaps of parking available, public toilets, and picnic tables, which makes for a great place for a picnic. Just remember, to not share your food with the birds, they are very happy with all the slimy lakeside greens they get to eat.

Shaws Bird Park

Shaws Bird Park is a bird paradise. Located on the outskirts of Hamilton, this space was created by Murray and Margaret Shaw over the last thirty years. There are ponds to explore, thousands of trees to see, and many many birds to watch, from peafowl to kererū.

Shaws also has guinea pigs and rabbits, that people can have a cuddle with. They also rehabilitate injured birds, and these can be seen in the aviaries as you walk into the park.

There are no dogs, scooters, or bikes at Shaws, so be sure to leave all those behind when you make your way there.

Hamilton Gardens

Most people when they think of Hamilton, will straight away mention the gardens. And there is a reason for that. They are pretty spectacular. Sprawling over 54-hectares, with more than 20 different kinds of gardens to get lost in, from entering the relaxing space of the Japanese Garden with its calming pond and lush trees to the whimsical Surrealist garden, where you will appear smaller than you are.

This is Hamilton’s most popular attraction, with around one million people visiting annually and 2000 events hosted per year, including the Arts Festival and Gourmet at the Gardens. There is also a cafe on site, which dishes out awesome coffee and food, for after your trek around the gardens.

So what are you waiting for, get lost in a beautiful garden for a while.

Nature Spots in Hamilton to Explore

Taitua Arboretum

Tills Landing

The Lake

Shaws Bird Park

Hamilton Gardens