Waikato Region, Administrative region in North Island, New Zealand.
Waikato Region is an administrative area on New Zealand's North Island stretching from the Coromandel area to the inland volcanoes. The territory includes farming plains, forested hills, and a long river flowing through several towns.
In the 1860s conflicts between colonial troops and the Māori King Movement led to land loss and settlement changes. The following decades brought European farming and new townships along the river.
The name Waikato comes from the river that winds through the area and has been important to Māori communities for centuries. Visitors today see marae and meeting houses where local tribes maintain their language and ceremonies.
The main highway connecting Auckland to Wellington runs through this area and links towns and rural places. Travelers find accommodation and fuel stations in the larger settlements along the route.
Beneath the fields and pastures lie sprawling cave systems formed from limestone, where thousands of glowworms hang their threads from the ceilings. The tiny larvae produce light to attract insects, turning some chambers into an underground starry sky.
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