Taurangain the Sunny Bay of Plenty
Tauranga is one of the few cities that has not only a lovely harbour, but a beautiful ocean beach well known as one of New Zealand’s best for surfing.
Because Mount Maunganui has so much to offer in it's own right I have created a page specially...........so CLICK HERE to find out about all the great holiday activities, restaurants and accommodation at The Mount. Papamoa is an extention of the Mount Maunganui Ocean Beach located further south along the coast. It can be included in Tauranga, although it is well on the outskirts............about 16-20 kilometres. There is a good camping ground on the beachfront, and it is close enough to sightsee around Tauranga. Tauranga City - Shopping and Restaurants
The town centre is situated on the harbour, with a rail track along the edge. They have made the most of the picturesque harbour frontage and the waterfront is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants for great outdoor eating and entertainment. Not only is there a good selection of shops located on the main street and surrounding malls and streets.......there are a also a number of excellent cafes..........I can highly recommend Brava....next door to Encore! The platter is a delicious lunch and their smoothies some of the best I have ever tasted!
The Elms Mission House
Elms Mission House historic homestead and gardens are open to the public. You can pay to see inside the historic buildings, and hear the fascinating historic stories, or wander free of charge around the beautiful gardens, with huge old trees and tropical plantings, surrounding the fascinating mix of old buildings including a library, house, various sheds and a church. The story of the original pioneers is told on the plaques as you wander ................a wonderful story of one of Tauranga’s first families. It is well worth taking some time to look at this lovely old home .
Walking and Cycling in TaurangaTauranga City Council has had the foresight to develop a network of tracks for both pedestrians and cyclists to share. There is an excellent little pocket booklet you can get from the Tourist Information Centre with maps and directions for the many walkways. Many run into each other, so you can do as much or as little as you want.
The Harbour Front has a walkway right along the foreshore, through the many parks. You will have a wonderful look at homes, parks, beaches and marine life as you walk or ride along the tracks.Waikareao Estuary has a 9.5 kilometre track around the estuary. It is suggested it is a 2 hour walk. 
Mildly undulating, but mostly relatively flat, it is well worth doing for the wonderful views and variety of scenery. Try to do it when the tide is in for a stunning walk or cycle through beautiful bush, across wetland boardwalks, through parks, and back along the lake edge by the motorway. There are several entries and exits to the walkway.Summerhill Recreational Farmtracks - 11 kilometres southwest of Tauranga off Welcome Bay Road , over 500 acres of bush, forest and pasture with 20 kilometres of bike and walking trails makes up the Summerhill Recreational Farmtracks. Entry by donation. Day Trips from TaurangaWhakatane is 87 kilometres from the city centre. You can do a range of great adventure activities from Whakatane including
Te Puke – The Kiwifruit 360 has special trips on Kiwi Karts through the orchards and kiwifruit vines, and the shop has everything you could possibly think of to do with kiwifruit! Comvita Honey Visitors Centre – 9 kilometres south of Tauranga on the Tauranga – Rotorua Highway. Comvita honey is famous for it’s health properties and their special live honey is used in hospitals around the world. You can see the bees at work, and view many live displays and the many honey products. Bay of Plenty Gardens – There are several well known New Zealand gardens in this area open to the public for a small fee. Waihi Waterlily Gardens - Here you can wander 15 acres of beautiful waterlily gardens and ponds. Katikati Bird Gardens and Cafe - With over 50 varieties of birds – there is a 45-60 minute garden trail to walk, and you can hand feed the birds along the way. You can hire golf carts rather than walk the trail. This would be a good stop en rote from Auckland if you take the route via Katikati. Waimarino Glow worm Caves – you can do organised kayaking tours into the caves. MacLaren Falls Located at the foot of the Kaimai Ranges this is a beautiful area on the outskirts of Tauranga. You can walk in to see the Falls or can do a kayak trip in the cave to see the glow worms. There are organised tours which I suggest is best as there is a power station outlet which requires care, and it is a night trip to see the glow worms needing special equipment including lights, along with kayak hire. Marshalls Animal Farm - Also at MacLaren Falls this is a great place for small children with a variety of unusual animals to hand feed, and pony rides, flying foxes and other entertainment the kiddies will love. Horse Trekking – Maketu - There are horse treks along the beach at Maketu for those keen to do a little horse riding. You could include a visit to the Kiwifruit 360 Wineries Bay of Plenty Wineries
Morton Estate is on the main road going in to Tauranga via Katikati.With numerous awards lining the walls of this beautiful winery, the wine tasting will give you a sample of a variety of wines from an award winning Viognier, to a rare . They have quite a selection of chardonnays, and one or two including the 2005 are excellent. Mills Reef Winery - This winery is popular for its cafe meals, with pleasant outdoor eating and often live entertainment for diners and wine tasters. Tauranga AccommodationTauranga has a wide range of good accommodation from top class hotels to suit the conference market to motels,apartments, B&B's, backpackers, hostels and for those who like to camp - you have a choice of several.You may also like to check the Mount Maunganui selection and/or Papamoa.
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