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The Waikato is an amazing region of the North Island of New Zealand. The area has many dairy farms, including one near Matamata that was used as the setting for Hobbiton in The Lord of the Rings movies.
The main city in the region is called Hamilton. The Waikato River passes through this city and a group of gardens called the Hamilton Gardens are on the bank of the Waikato River. There is a zoo, a lake, lots of shops and a big university called The University of Waikato. The area around the city has lots of dairy farms and beef farms with cows and bulls.
In the south of the region is Lake Taupo. It was formed by an volcanic eruption called the Oruanui about 27,000 years ago. The most recent eruption in 181 AD was so big that it released ash that turned the sky red in China and Rome. That eruption was the biggest in recorded history.
Cambridge is a small town in the region that has many horse farms, called thoroughbred stables. One horse from Cambridge won the Melbourne Cup in 2002, which is a very important horse race held each year in Australia.
One of the best places in the Waikato are a group of caves called the Waitomo Caves. People travel from all around the world to visit these caves.
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