Crowne Plaza Auckland to Hamilton private car — Wei's holiday

The Saturday morning sun was already bright as I pulled up to the Crowne Plaza. December in Auckland, and you could feel the city buzzing with the promise of summer. My passenger, Wei L, was waiting right by the entrance. She looked a little overwhelmed, clutching a well-worn guidebook to the Coromandel Peninsula. I’d expected someone heading for the airport, or maybe a conference at the hotel, not a keen explorer ready to tackle the winding coastal roads.

Wei explained she was on a solo holiday, a break from her busy life in Singapore. Her plan was to spend a few days exploring the Waikato, starting with Hamilton, then head east to the Coromandel Peninsula, before eventually making her way back to Auckland for her flight. Hamilton was just the first leg of her journey, a place to break up the drive and visit some gardens before heading further afield. She’d chosen a private car service so she could stop whenever she pleased, and to avoid the hassle of transfers and unfamiliar public transport. I gathered her guidebook was her constant companion.

We set off a little after nine. The usual Saturday morning crawl through the city gave way to the open road as we headed south on State Highway 1. Wei was quiet at first, watching the urban landscape morph into green farmland and rolling hills. She’d point out things occasionally – a particularly picturesque farm, a flock of sheep, the distinctive shape of the Bombay Hills ahead. I remember she commented on how much greener everything was than she'd imagined.

We stopped a bit further down the road in Pokeno for a coffee and a leg stretch. The town was already getting busy, a popular stop for both locals and travellers heading out of the city. While I waited, Wei bought one of those enormous Pokeno bacon-and-egg pies. She was travelling pretty light, just a medium-sized backpack and her trusty book. You could tell she was a traveller who liked to immerse herself in a place rather than just tick boxes.

The route to Hamilton from Pokeno takes you through the heart of the Waikato. It’s a region of rich pasture, dairy farms, and a slightly more settled, mature landscape than the dramatic coastlines she was heading towards later. We passed through Huntly, then Ngaruawahia, where the Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest, flows with a steady, unhurried current. Wei mentioned her fascination with rivers, how they always seemed to have a story to tell. She mused aloud about the journey of the water from the mountains to the sea, a sentiment I often find myself sharing on long drives through the countryside.

As we approached Hamilton, the conversation became a little more about her specific plans. She was eager to visit the Hamilton Gardens, a place I know well. I told her it was a perfect spot for someone who appreciated different cultures and styles, given its various themed gardens. She seemed particularly excited about the 'Te Parapara' garden, the only traditional Māori garden in the world. It was clear her holiday wasn't just about seeing scenery, but about understanding the stories and history behind the places.

Wei had booked into a motel close to the city centre. I helped her with her bag, and as she paid the fare, she thanked me with a genuine smile. She said the drive had been exactly what she needed – peaceful, scenic, and with just the right amount of quiet reflection. She was looking forward to exploring Hamilton and the rest of her North Island adventure. I watched her walk towards her accommodation, guidebook in hand, ready to delve into another chapter, and headed back north, the late afternoon sun warming the empty passenger seat.