Te Huia Train

Free phone number

Connecting the Waikato and Auckland, Te Huia is capable of carrying over 500 passengers per day, transforming the journey of those travelling between Hamilton, Huntly and Auckland.

It’s just as much about the journey as the destination - make the most of your travel time by catching up on news online, getting stuck into a book, chatting with your travel companions or stretching your legs.

Te Huia connects the Waikato to Auckland, offering comfy seats, light and airy carriages, free Wi-Fi, an onboard café, tables, power and USB ports at every
seat, toilets, as well as bike/luggage/pram storage. The cheapest way to travel is with a Bee Card – the ticketing system used by
most New Zealand regions. Pick up a Bee Card onboard or from the Hamilton Transport Centre seven days a week. Family passes are available with a BeeCard, and cash/EFTPOS fares are also available on the train.

The Te Huia service has three Waikato stops (Frankton, Rotokauri and Raahui Pookeka | Huntly) and three Auckland stops (Papakura, Puhinui and the Strand).

Te Huia runs return services from Frankton (Hamilton) to the Strand (Auckland) twice a day during the week, and once on Saturdays.

The service has an estimated running time of:

2 hours, 25 minutes from Frankton to the Strand (98 minutes to Papakura)
2 hours, 17 minutes from Rotokauri to the Strand (90 minutes to Papakura)
1 hour, 56 minutes from Raahui Pookeka | Huntly to the Strand (68 minutes to Papakura)

Find timetable here

Pricing

$2 - 30 (Adult)

$Free (Child)

Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton Gardens

From ancient Egypt to a 21-century Concept Garden. Admission to the enclosed gardens requires a paid entry fee for visitors who live outside of Hamilton, with children under 16 years of age free. Unlike any botanical garden, our unique attraction is rated among the top 3 things to do in New Zealand and is in the top 1% of attractions globally on TripAdvisor. Discover the magic of Hamilton Gardens with one of our tours. Whether you're a first-time explorer or a returning visitor, this immersive journey unveils fascinating tales, discovering the cultural significance woven into every petal and pathway.  Or opt for an Audio Guide to enjoy a narrated journey through the ages and across the continents, exploring at your own pace. 

Zealong Tea Estate

Zealong Tea Estate - High Tea

Visit the Zealong Tea Room and indulge in our Signature High Tea, curated with a selection of hand-crafted gourmet sweets and savouries, or choose from our seasonal lunch menu. Enhance your experience with the perfect pairing of Zealong tea to - whether you prefer a refreshing green, a floral oolong, or a bold black, all our teas are 100% organically grown on-site and proudly made in New Zealand. All served with breathtaking views of the Estate’s rolling tea terraces and landscaped gardens. Make your visit even more memorable with a traditional tea tasting ceremony or a guided tour of our certified organic tea plantation.

Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery

Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery

Haere mai! Welcome to Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery. Perched above the mighty Waikato River, this world-class museum and art gallery is the artistic and cultural heart of the Waikato. Visit us to experience visual stories and guided activities that bring our art, history, culture and science to life through an inspirational programme that aims to challenge and inspire you.

SkyCity Hamilton

SkyCity Hamilton

SkyCity Hamilton is situated inside the former Chief Post Office, in a building designed to maximise a superb riverside location on the banks of the Waikato River. With a range of dining and entertainment outlets, including EATBurger - voted the Waikato's best burger and The Local Taphouse - the first Good George bar in the CBD, there is something for everyone at SkyCity Hamilton! Enjoy the excitement and atmosphere of the Main Gaming Floor with over 300 gaming machines and 23 table games (R20 to enter the casino) or strike up a little competition on level two with Hamilton's only bowling alley, Bowl and Social, a world-class venue offering non-stop fun and state of the art technology!

Sands Carving Studio

Carve Your Own Hei Matau

Carve your own traditional Māori pendant - the hei matau: a fishhook. This workshop is designed for entry-level carvers with next to no carving experience, and will take up to 7 - 8 hours. In this workshop, we will cover the cultural history of the form, the tools and skills necessary for stone-carving and will guide participants through the process of creating a pounamu hei matau. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a fully completed and bound hei matau to take home.

Nature and Nosh Tours

Nature & Nosh - 'Heart of the North' Hiking and Food Tour - 6 days

Get a group of 4 to 8 people together and walk our secret back country trails away from the crowds. Visit picturesque farms and take in all their rugged seclusion on private walks. Explore the lands that time forgot on some tracks even the locals don't know about. Walk through the forests of the largest mainland ecological island in the world, where the air is filled with bird song in a forest alive with some of our rarest native birds. Meander along a river that leads to a pure spring and sample some award-winning cheese produced from the rich pastures of the Waikato region. Admire the limestone bluffs that line the gorges of middle earth like lands and admire the rural resilience and beauty that is the heart of our North Island.

All things to do

This website helps visitors connect with providers of great tourism experiences. It is not intended to give any assurance that any particular provider complies with its safety obligations. Users should seek more information from the provider concerned. While Hamilton & Waikato Tourism will do its utmost to ensure the information contained within this website is accurate, Hamilton & Waikato Tourism accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, offers or details of any information or operator listings. Prices, timetables and other details or terms of business may change without notice. The information included in this website is not advice and does not imply any endorsement by Hamilton & Waikato Tourism.