We were able to manage one more getaway, this time to Hamilton, about 1 1/2 hours south of Auckland. Miles' former colleague from the Bio Engineering Institute in Auckland now works at WINTEC, Waitako Institute of Technology, in Hamilton and invited Miles to give a lecture.
It was a very positive experience from all sides. The attendees were instructors who had more of a technical background so Miles modified his lecture skipping details of his equations. Miles was very pleased to talk to some of the participants afterwards to learn how they teach more practical aspects of engineering. I also attended the lecture, and although all of it was over my head, I enjoyed seeing Miles lecture (he's a very engaging and enthusiastic lecturer) and I only dozed off a bit.
When you tell most people you're traveling to Hamilton, they say, "Oh, Hamilton--not a very exciting place to go and there's not much to do there." Well, we were up to the challenge and after visiting the local I-Site (information center), found plenty to explore.
Our first stop was Hamilton Gardens which has 21 themed garden collections which explore different civilizations, and recreates historically important garden styles from many parts of the world.
Sung Dynasty Japanese Garden
Garden of Contemplation
Italian Renaissance Garden
Tudor Garden
Te Parapara (Maori) Garden
The next day, we drove about 45 kilometers south to the Te Waihou Walkway to Blue Springs. After all this time, you'd think we'd seen it all and were used to the nature. Not so! Once again, we were overwhelmed. See for yourself:
Rushing cascades...
...turquoise water through the trees...
...the clearest water--you can even see a trout in the middle of the picture...
...and moving waves of plants under the water
We thought this looked a scene out of the movies
And as if this wasn't enough, the Blue Spring at Te Waihou Walkway is internationally acclaimed with
water so pure it supplies around 70% of New Zealand’s bottled water. The water actually takes 100 years to filter through the rock before surfacing at the source of the stream. Wonderful!
STUNNING! You definitely found the jewel in the crown in the Hamilton Gardens and the Blue Spring at Te Waihou Walkway. Your photos capture the majestic scenery but I am sure those vistas must be incredible in person. How fortunate that you were able to take this side trip, lecture and all. Although we only drove through Hamilton, I do recall an architectually exquisite Victorian Public Washroom. Who knew that taking a washroom break could be so elegant...
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