Ambassador to Waikato
Being new to Waikato, reporter decided it was time to get to know her new home. She attended a Kirikiriroa/Hamilton Ambassador Programme to see through the city’s fog of reputation.
Arriving at ambassador training started in typical me fashion – I got lost.
I wasn’t sure this was a great sign for my future as a city ambassador and walking around Sky City, I pondered why I was here and what kind of other people would be.
Was I about to get stuck in a room full of nerds? Or councillors, or worse, mature students who asked a lot of questions?
Luckily, there was only four of us at the training. So I thought the chances of anyone asking enough questions to make it run longer than its scheduled three hours was slim.
The Hamilton Ambassador Programme is held once a month and is a joint collaboration between Hamilton & Waikato Tourism and the Hamilton Central Business Association to try and enhance visitor experience to the region.
The point is to make people who live in Waikato the equivalent of walking tour guides who can step in and help people visiting with recommendations that extend beyond heading to Hobbiton or the Waitomo Caves.
I’d need more than three hours, I thought. I was so new to the city, I still used Google Maps to get everywhere, and I couldn’t tell you any street names besides where I live and where I work.
But as the course kicked into gear, I realised the underlying tone was less about making us ‘‘walking tour guides’’ and more about making people who live in Waikato proud of their patch.
Hamilton in particular is a city that has somehow picked up a bad name among some over the years. But when you learn about the history and culture that has come out of the region, you realise how unfair this stigma is and how many cool things there actually are to do here.
As someone who had been to Hamilton twice in my adult life before arriving – day trips only – I was genuinely amazed at its history and some of the things on offer.
And I’m not just talking about visiting the big three – Hamilton Gardens, Hobbiton and the Waitomo Caves.
I mean the cocktail bars, the coffee spots and the assortment of culinary experiences available from some of the amazing eateries.
Having travelled a fair bit I know it is those little things that are the hardest to nail when you are passing through an area. It is usually trial and error, so if someone gives you a recommendation, you are pretty likely to take it.
We had to share where we thought the best coffee in the city was, so we could all leave and try new places, which means you are also getting spots that might not make top 10 lists.
I contributed a place near my work (I am 80 per cent sure I got the name wrong) but everyone nodded and agreed like the polite people they were.
This bit of the course was really beneficial – I left with a lot more places to try, which will be handy when any of my friends and family eventually decide to love me and come visit. However, the bit of training I found most interesting explained some of the best things produced in Waikato. It also makes for great fun facts if people try and bag Hamilton to you.
I was amazed to discover Gallagher, which now creates security systems used in places such as the Pentagon, was started in Waikato after one of the Gallagher brothers invented the electric fence to stop his horse rubbing up against his car.
Other fun facts about the region included Waikato DHB being the largest teaching hospital in the Southern Hemisphere and the University of Waikato being the first place in New Zealand to get the internet.
While I don’t think you need this course if you are just happily living your life in Waikato, if you are new to the area or want to find out more about the city you live in, it’s definitely worth your time.
At the end you do a quiz, get a cool pin and congratulations, you are now a Hamilton Ambassador.
For more information on the ambassador training, head to www.waikatonz.com/industry/ industry-events-activities/ ambassador/.