Te Awamutu - take a walk in the park

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Te Awamutu is only 30 minutes south of Hamilton. I tend to drive straight through it, on my way to somewhere else. But, as I learned today, it is worth stopping and taking a stroll through some of the parks and gardens. I managed to visit three of them before the rain forced me to give up.





Te Awamutu (known by locals as TA) calls itself The Rose Capital of the World. From November to April, a visit to the Rose Gardens is essential. With over 2500 rose bushes and more than 50 different varieties, the gardens are lovely. Do I think this makes TA The Rose Capital of the World? No. But at least the gardens are free to visit and there are always people there taking photos or simply enjoying the beautiful flowers.





https://www.teawamutu.nz/info/attractions/rose-gardens/





I was surprised to find that I had driven past the Millennium Sculpture Park many times without realising it was a park. If I hadn't been looking for it, I would not have noticed it. The park has a few sculptures (and I mean a few) which didn't exactly make me go "Wow". Signage is small (one seemed to be missing altogether) and it didn't feel welcoming or interesting. Maybe the sculptures would appeal to someone who appreciates this type of artwork more than I do. They just seem to stuck in a sad little park, where passersby would, well, pass them by!







However, there was one very good thing about the park which will be used by my 4-legged assistant in the future. Venturing to the back of the park I found there was a dog exercise area. Brilliant. Plenty of space where they can run round safely. But I didn't notice any sign on the road to show it exists. What a shame. Kiwis travelling with their dogs would be very happy to find it.





Another park that really is worth a visit is the War Memorial Park. https://www.teawamutu.nz/info/attractions/memorial-park/ The actual war memorial was not what I expected but the park is lovely. There is a good kids' playground, a lake with the usual range of demanding ducks, more roses, paths to stroll along and plenty of spots to have a picnic.





On my mission to learn more about the part of NZ I live in, I will go back to TA soon and see what other parks and activities it can offer visitors.





Geocaches: there are heaps of geocaches around the area including one in the War Memorial Park.





Munzees: you could spend an entire day just wandering around the town, scanning Munzees. A good place to grab a few of those that are worth the most points.





Dogs: you should make the most of the dog park at the back of the Sculpture Park.

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