Why Waikato?

Waikato, in the native Māori language, means “flowing water”. It was the name given to New Zealand’s largest river, and then to the province in which the University of Waikato is located. The Waikato is a region of lush green hills, forests, farmland, lakes and rivers situated between two beautiful coastlines, and located in the North Island of New Zealand.

From quaint and quirky art villages, to ecologically diverse pristine forest parks, the Waikato region offers international students a central location from which to enjoy a diverse range of activities.

The Waikato is extremely well placed to enable students to live and study in a bustling provincial city, while being surrounded by an incredibly diverse mix of culture and geographical attractions. 

The Waikato River meanders through the green valleys of the Waikato region and the region’s largest city, Hamilton. Hamilton is New Zealand's largest inland city with a population of 143,000. Home to more than 80 ethnic groups, Hamilton is a city of education and scientific research with parks and gardens, fine cuisine, ethnic cafés, arts and culture, and a variety of sporting and cultural events.

A thriving student city with more than 25,000 people involved in tertiary study, Hamilton is a 90-minute drive south of Auckland (population 1 million). The same distance east brings you to the wilderness of the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty, offering some of the best swimming beaches in New Zealand.

To the south, the cities of Rotorua and Taupo offer an enormous range of Māori, geothermal, and adventure sport activities and attractions. Forest parks, lakes, thermal hot pools and limestone caves can be found all over the Waikato region.

New Zealand’s largest winter ski areas are less than three hours drive to the south. Two of the best surfing beaches in New Zealand are located between 45-90 minutes drive away to the east and west of the city. Lake Karapiro, only 25 minutes drive from Hamilton, offers world class rowing and other water sport activities. Fishing, tramping and mountain biking are also well catered for.