These notes are an updated version (revised 25 Jan 2021) of those prepared for a field trip held in conjunction with the World Soils Congress in Brisbane in 2010: Lowe, D.J. 2010. Introduction to the landscapes and soils of the Hamilton Basin. In: Lowe, D.J., Neall, V.E., Hedley, M., Clothier, B., Mackay, A. 2010. Guidebook for Pre-conference North Island, New Zealand “Volcanoes to Oceans” field tour (27-30 July). 19th World Soils Congress, International Union of Soil Sciences, Brisbane. Soil and Earth Sciences Occasional Publication No. 3, Massey University, Palmerston North, pp. 1.24-1.61.