Hamilton gets a bad rap from Kiwis. Known as The Tron, it’s much maligned and thought of as a place with about as much culture as a pot of yoghurt. However, it’s one of my favourite places in New Zealand (I am totally biased) so let me persuade you that you need to put Hamilton on your New Zealand itinerary. In this post I’m going to highlight one suburb only, so expect more to follow!

Cross the main town bridge and turn right and you’ll find yourself on Grey Street, the commercial hub of Hamilton East. There are more cafes than you can shake a stick at and a burgeoning shopping scene with independent shops and boutiques. I can’t highlight every eatery here, but I’ve given you several options over the course of a day, so bring your best hobbity habits and be prepared for first breakfast, second breakfast, morning tea, lunch etc..

With their own coffee roastery, Grey Street Kitchen is one of my ultimate Hamilton breakfast spots. Enjoy their Chilli Scram or turmeric poached pear and brown sugar porridge and set yourself up for a day of exploring. Your next stop needs to be Books for Kids just over the road. A speciality children’s bookshop, this bright and welcoming space is filled with books for babies through to young adults and several choices for adults too. The team there know what they’re talking about. They can point you in the right direction when you’re looking for a book for a 5 year old who loves platypi (apparently that is the pleural of platypus) or a nine year old longing for a swashbuckling adventure. During Covid restrictions they went out of their way to make sure that books still reached the people that needed them. They are genuinely interested in what you’ve been reading lately and if there’s anything you think that they should have in stock.

If you fancy a spot of op-shopping (charity or thrift shopping) then the Red Cross Shop and The Salvation Army Family Store on Grey Street, or the Hospice Waikato shop further up the road, also have a selection of books. Post book-buying splurge, it may be time for a little sustenance. Tucked behind Grey Street is Lovegrove Lane. There’s something rather Diagon Alley like about this little lane where you’ll find; the Framing House that hosts exhibitions and sells ceramics and other smaller pieces of art in their store, The Flower Crate which is a perfectly formed treasure box of a shop with indoor plants, flowers and gifts and the Hearth Grocer and Juice Bar that sits right next to the Sun Salute Yoga Studio. However, keep going to the end of the Lane and you reach GG’s Cafe. With a retro vintage vibe, this is a spot really only known to locals. If you are very lucky you will be there on the same day as the Lamingtons. Sponge squares, coated in chocolate or pink icing and desiccated coconut, GG’s also fill them choc full of cream. One of the nearest things to heaven on earth.

Unless your name is Bilbo or Frodo, you may need a walk to make space for the next course. There are several footpaths down to the riverside walkway from Grey Street and if you make your way down to the river and turn left you can walk to Hamilton Gardens, the jewel in Hamilton’s Crown (so much so it’s going to have a post all of its own). However, if you stay on the road and keep going right past the bridge, you’ll come to Memorial and Parana Parks. Donated to the city by George Parr, Parana Park hides a brilliant children’s playground with shapes and slides based on the flowers and leaves of the Kowhai tree. Having burnt off some energy, make your way back towards the main Grey Street hub. Round the corner on Clyde Street, you’ll find a small shopping centre and in the back left corner, sharing an entrance way with a pub, is the Two Birds Cafe. Don’t be fooled by what’s on the outside, the eatery is in a large open space with a courtyard garden and is run by a team that know their way around local produce and food. Especially good for vegetarians or vegans, the meals are fresh and their plant-filled garden is a little oasis.

Walking back along the road, call into Welcome Swallow Gifts and Gallery, an art and gift shop that raises money to help children facing hardship. The nearby Recycle Boutique is a great place to pick up a recycled clothing bargain. I’ve still not got over my best ever find, a pair of bright pink patent Dr. Marten shoes! At the top of the road in the corner shop, facing Steele Park, is a real Waikato success story. Duck Island Ice Cream was created in 2015 and this is the original shop. With Scoop Shops in Auckland and Wellington and stockists across the country, there’s a real love for their flavour combinations and the fact that they do a great range of vegan, gluten-free and allergy considerate options. I love the toasted marshmallow and boysenberry cheesecake flavours, but there really is something here for everyone, a little like Hamilton East itself.