natural wonder
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Underground caves illuminated by thousands of bioluminescent glowworms creating a starry-sky effect on the cave ceiling.
34 km · about 40 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandWaikato Region
Te Awamutu
Waikato Region, New Zealand · Oceania
About Te Awamutu
Te Awamutu sits on the route: 20 minutes from Pirongia, 34km from Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
Te Awamutu is in Waikato Region, New Zealand, with about 14,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Pirongia, about 11 km away.
Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipā District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Hamilton on State Highway 3, one of the two main routes southRead more
from Auckland and Hamilton.
Te Awamutu has a population of 13,950 (June 2025), making it the fifth-largest urban area in the Waikato behind Hamilton, Taupō, Cambridge and Tokoroa.
The town is often referred to as "The Rose Town of New Zealand" because of its elaborate rose gardens in the centre of the town. Many local businesses use "Rosetown" in their name, and the symbol of the rose is widely used on local signs and billboards. The local paper, Te Awamutu Courier, had a symbol of a rose in the masthead on its front page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Te Awamutu?
Within an hour or so of Te Awamutu: Waitomo Glowworm Caves (34 km), Hobbiton Movie Set (34 km), Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata (34 km), Marokopa Falls (50 km).
Are there any good drives near Te Awamutu?
The nearest famous roads are Forgotten World Highway and Desert Road.
Where is Te Awamutu?
Te Awamutu is in Waikato Region, New Zealand, about 11 km from Pirongia.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 14,000
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Waikato Region
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -38.0082, 175.3302
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Te Awamutu
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Hobbiton Movie Set
The real-life Shire from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, with 44 hobbit holes set in rolling green Waikato farmland.
34 km · about 40 min drive
film location
Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata
The permanent Shire set with 44 hobbit holes, the Party Tree and the Green Dragon Inn, built for The Lord of the Rings and rebuilt for The Hobbit.
34 km · about 40 min drive
waterfall
Marokopa Falls
A 35-metre wide curtain of water crashing into a rainforest basin, reached by a 10-minute bush walk from Te Anga Road west of Waitomo. The reward for continuing past the glowworm caves.
50 km · about 60 min drive
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