Hamilton in a
heartbeat
Hamilton Gardens © Camilla Rutherford
Make the most of The Tron in 48 hours. Easily one of the country’s most underrated cities, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.
Saturday MORNING
Punch ‘Lovegrove Lane’ into your maps’ app and follow Google’s lead to one of Hamilton’s nicest laneways. Lovegrove Lane is hidden down a sneaky side street, so you’ll likely get directed to Grey Street. Look for Subway; Lovegrove is the nearby alleyway with pretty mural graffiti. Past the florists and yoga studios sits GG’s Café, a beautifully ramshackled coffee spot, adorned with bric-a-brac. Sit at a vintage schoolboy desk and eat the best savoury scone in the city. Afterward, take a stroll down Grey Street. Saturday hosts pavement plant sellers and some serious treasure can be found in thrift stores and Recycle Boutique. A second coffee enjoyed in the park watching cricketers bowl on the grass isn’t a bad shout either.
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We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021
MID MORNING
Time for Hamilton Gardens. Like most of the city’s premier sights, entry is free. We suspect most visitors are so impressed, they drop a few notes at the gift shop or flush the donation box, keeping the gardens shipshape and free of charge. Scrap any preconceived ideas you have about botanic gardens because this venue dances to its own tune. More amusement park than manicured rose bushes, you enter a labyrinth of themed gardens and curious doorways; courtyards and castles; tea parties and tricks of the eye. From globally-inspired gardens mimicking India, Italy, England, to vintage Ford cars and blimps intent on taking off, you won’t want to leave, let alone return to your own mediocre backyard. The latest pocket of horticultural magic features giant-sized doors, spades and wheelbarrows. And wait, is that something moving in the trees? You’ll have to wait and see...
