Hampton Downs Motorsports Park and Events Centre offers thrills galore including hot laps in a Lamborghini Huracan. Photo / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
It's Queen Elizabeth's birthday and even in this far-flung Domain we're blessed with a holiday on Monday to mark the auspicious occasion.
Although cake, candles and bubbles are traditional for birthdays, as part of the Waikato Herald's Mighty Local story series we checked in with Hamilton & Waikato Tourism for some right royal ways locals – and visitors to the region – might celebrate this long weekend.
With the Royal Family's penchant for fine automobiles – not to mention a bit of speed (here's looking at the Duke of Cambridge and his liking for superbikes) – the first suggestion is a visit to Hampton Downs Motorsports Park and Events Centre, halfway between Auckland and Hamilton.
World-class Hampton Downs is the home of New Zealand's best motorsport events and there are multiple ways to get out on the track, including special days when thrill-seekers can do so in their own car or on their own bike.
Hampton Downs' popular go-karts reach speeds of up to 70km/h with the undulating 530m outdoor track making for an exhilarating experience. There are two-seater karts too, allowing younger speedsters (from six years of age and up) to accompany an adult driver and experience the excitement.
Big track experiences include hot laps in a Lamborghini Huracan, driving a V8 muscle car (choose a Mustang or a Camaro), or a spin in the Lexus Safety car which the whole family can enjoy.
Hampton Downs' marketing manager Emma Bunney highly recommends the brand-new experience of getting behind the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler to test your off-road driving skills.
"We provide a driving instructor to coach you through the different obstacles on our rugged circuit – bumps, rocky surface, a water hole and a section where there's a 30-degree lean, just to name a few of the challenges," she says, adding that passengers are also permitted, allowing you to take friends along to share the adrenalin rush.
Hampton Downs is also the home of the New Zealand Racing Academy where experienced instructors teach aspiring race car drivers how to drive fast, safe and win.
Fifteen minutes away at Mercer Airport there is GoSkydive and the chance to channel Prince Harry who was described as a "natural" when he gave skydiving a go with the British Army's Red Devils display team.
GoSkydive offers tandem and sports skydiving experiences with a choice of freefalls from different heights. Just recently the company has been licensed to offer freefalls of 60 seconds, from a height of 16,000 feet, and 80 seconds, from 20,000 feet – one of the highest skydives available in New Zealand.
All jumps come with breath-taking views out over the Waikato, Auckland and Hamilton cities, and both the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean.
To ensure ever-lasting proof of skydiving bravery and Instagram-worthy shots of the action, GoSkydive also has options for still photography and videos – before, during and after the jump.
For a long weekend experience that's less adrenalin and more zen, there are the friendly doe-eyed creatures at Cornerstone Alpaca Stud in Gordonton.
Visitors to the farm can learn all about the alpacas, which originate from South America, pet them, help to feed them, and have their photograph taken with them, making for cute shots that even the Duchess of Cambridge, great photographer that she is, would admire.
Cornerstone offers a range of experiences including taking the alpacas for a walk, encouraging visitors to get up close and even hug these friendly animals and feel their soft coats that are currently especially fluffy to keep them warm during the winter months.
There are now also two llamas at Cornerstone, allowing visitors to see the difference between these two species, with the most marked being that llamas are a bigger animal and have more elongated faces and bigger ears than alpacas. Both are members of the camel family.
An onsite (and online) shop features a wide range of alpaca knitwear, yarn for the DIY crafters, blankets, duvets and more, while the Cornerstone Kitchen café tempts with woodfired pizzas, gourmet burgers, toasted sandwiches taken to a new level, and fresh fruit ice cream.
There is also a popular events venue on the farm. The rustic, romantic Granero barn complete with stained glass windows is proving a hit as a wedding venue. Guests are able to admire the alpacas grazing in the adjacent fields and more than one wedding party has included these well-trained animals in their special day photographs – cuteness personified.
Happy birthday your Majesty!