Situated at the southern end of Tauranga Harbour, Tauranga is the Bay of Plenty's main centre. The beautiful harbour offers a multitude of water-based activities including swimming, surfing, diving, water-skiing, kayaking, surfing, windsurfing, parasailing and swimming with dolphins. The city is also renowned as a base for big game fishing.

Tauranga's heart is its lively waterfront area, bustling with shops and cafés. A number of historic buildings and sites associated with the city's role as an early mission station and military base can be explored at the historic village. Day-trips can also be taken to nearby Matakana and Mayor Islands. The surrounding region is a major producer of citrus and fruit crops, and includes the kiwifruit capital of Te Puke.

Area: Northeast bight of North Island, Pacific Coast Highway
Climate: Temperate
Summer average: 24°C
Winter average: 14.5°C
Average rainfall: 1349mm/year

Tauranga offers an endless variety of leisure activities within easy reach and our range of brochures will help you decide how to make your visit a memorable one.

Attractions

Baypark Stadium is well known as the “Home of Speedway” in the Bay of Plenty. More recently it has become known as the “Home of the Western Bay Finance Steamers”. Bay of Plenty’s First Division NPC team has adopted Baypark as their base. Blue Chip Stadium’s reputation as a multi-purpose event venue is growing.

Swimming with the dolphins:
Gemini Galaxsea offer tours, as well as snorkelling on the reefs.

Mount Maunganui:
Tauranga's neighbouring town is a favourite beach resort with good surf and swimming beaches, and walks to the summit of Mount Maunganui (232m), which overlooks the beach. Visitors can also take a relaxing dip at the Mount Maunganui Hot Saltwater pools at the foot of the Mount.

Aerial Activities:
At nearby Mount Maunganui, Tauranga airport offers scenic flights with Tauranga Glider Club, or visitors can jump with Tandem Skydiving.

Compass Community Village:
The city's recreated colonial village is complete with shops, cottage industries, church, stables, jailhouse, a Maori village and old machinery and vehicles.

Walks:
The Visitor Centre has copies of Walkways of Tauranga, which includes Mount Maunganui. There are longer walks in the rugged Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park and at McLaren Falls, 11km southwest of Tauranga.

Mills Reef Winery & Restaurant:
The closest winery to Tauranga with free wine tasting and cellar door sales, and an award-winning restaurant.

Cascades Fountain Gardens:
Magnificent gardens with night lighting and water features. Visitors can control the water level of the fountains.

Marshall's Animal Park:
The chance to see and feed a variety of wild and domestic animals, with pony rides, a flying fox, bushwalks, a trout spring and picnic grounds.

Matakana Island:
This rural retreat in the Tauranga Harbour boasts a 24km stretch of white sand. There is swimming, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking and fishing. A ferry service departs from the town of Omokoroa, 22km west of Tauranga.

Water Activities:
Tauranga takes advantage of its harbour-side location with space to fish and stroll beside the water close to town. The city offers a full range of boating and watersports activities, in particular big game fishing. There are charter boats for hire at the central city wharf.