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 Friday, 03 September 2010 |
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Bay of Plenty: No Overnight Sensation |
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Written by Roderick Eime
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Monday, 29 June 2009 |
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The Bay of Plenty is a popular stop for cruise ships – see them up close at Port of Tauranga in Mount Maunganui. Photo: bayofplentynz.com
New Zealand is no overnight sensation; its remarkable natural features were 80 million years in the making.
Aotearoa (the Māori word for New Zealand, meaning Land of the Long White Cloud) spent all but the last few hundred years in blissful isolation, completely untroubled by man’s influence. All that changed about one thousand years ago with the arrival of the Polynesians. The academics debate the exact date and location, but the lush and fertile Bay of Plenty was certainly one of their first settlements.
According to Māori legend, the great ancestor Kupe, first discovered Aotearoa around the end of the first millennium. He returned to his homeland, Hawaiiki, aboard the great waka (canoe) Matawhaorua with glowing reports of the new land, describing it as "a distant land, cloud-capped, with plenty of moisture, and a sweet-scented soil". Enthused by Kupe’s reports, the first permanent tribes of arrived, settling on the north and north eastern shores of New Zealand’s North Island.
The region has some of the most historically significant areas in all of New Zealand and three of the seven waka that formed the original migration of Māori to Aotearoa made their first landing in the Bay of Plenty. The current name, not surprisingly, was bestowed upon it by Captain James Cook in 1769. After several visits, New Zealand would ultimately become the great navigator’s favourite place in the world.
If any location is a match for Kupe’s original discovery, it is surely the Bay of Plenty, lying east of the Kaimai-Mamaku Ranges and south of the Coromandel Peninsula. Its beautiful harbours, shimmering white surf beaches and relaxed lifestyle define it as a place ideal for holidaying with a multitude of leisure activities, both on- and offshore.
In around two hours, the popular Pacific Coast Highway touring route brings travellers into the bay and the city of Tauranga, located at the entrance to a beautiful natural harbour. This thriving commercial centre, the de facto capitol of the region has grown beyond its once lazy, seaside persona and developed a passion for exceptional food, wine and chic retail.
Expanding on its nautical heritage, Tauranga’s two large marinas can berth over one thousand yachts and numerous charter boats are ready to take you to the marlin-rich waters offshore. Ultimate Brandys is one who will take you to the best fishing spots like Major and White Islands and also include a winery tour.
A perfect base from which to begin your explorations of the region, Tauranga has accommodation for every budget, ranging from luxury like the Ridge Country Retreat and Spa, through hotels and apartments such as the spectacular Sebel Trinity Wharf to casual backpacker and motel style rooms at Te Puna.
Self-drive is the obvious option for a rewarding and leisurely travel experience. New Zealand’s well maintained highways, low traffic volumes and generally polite fellow road users make car travel enjoyable and cost-effective. Beyond that, bus tours, taxis and public transport are clean and reliable.
The abundance of fresh vine-ripened fruit, succulent seafood and farm-fresh produce makes the Bay of Plenty a gourmet’s delight. The high quality local ingredients are carefully and imaginatively prepared and served in seaside cafés, award-winning wineries and high-end restaurants throughout the entire region. The most difficult task is in the choosing.
Along Tauranga’s prestigious dining strip, The Strand, you’ll find many of the best establishments. The Cornerstone Pub is one with a distinct European theme providing a relaxed, upmarket atmosphere, while Halo Lounge & Dining offers impeccable service and a chic yet casual ambience topped with great water views and is ideal for an alfresco meal on a balmy January afternoon.
Dominant Mount Maunganui looks down upon its own beach and is the local surf-lovers’ heaven. Hosting everything from surf lifesaving events to beach volleyball, parasailing, sandcastle building and surfing contests, make sure you bring your swimmers and sunscreen because you’ll want to dive right in.
The pristine waters of the Bay of Plenty are home to all manner of sealife including a variety of wild dolphins, whales and pelagic birds. One of the regular daily tours recently spotted an extremely rare Blue Whale on a lonely migration from the Antarctic. Tours operate from both Tauranga and Whakatane with the latter offering a “swim with the dolphins” option – an experience only a lucky few will ever enjoy.
To the north west is the so-called mural town of Katikati. This little community, built on the banks of the sublime Uretara River, is passionate about art. Almost 40 murals adorn the walls of businesses throughout the town and while you walk the two kilometre Haiku Pathway, read the stone inscriptions along the way. But more recently the village has carved a niche for itself with its delightful summer evening concerts featuring jazz, classical and contemporary music set against the many gardens in the town. Four concerts are planned throughout January and February 2008. Hungry? Morton’s specialises in fish and game dishes that highlight the quality local produce.
The 90 kilometre coastal drive south east from Tauranga will take you to Whakatane, an attractive seaside town situated on the banks of its namesake river. En route, you pass through Te Puke, home of the famed Kiwi360 horticultural tourist attraction based on the phenomenal kiwifruit, one of New Zealand’s most recognisable and edible icons. The tour takes a close look at the growth cycle of the juicy green and gold kiwifruit and is a bit more than just another cliché ‘big thing’. There’s a fun park attached and the café serves a pavlova that will have you writing home about it.
Apart from the abundant forest and nature walks and the popular Ohope Beach swimming beach nearby, Whakatane is the jumping off point for boat or helicopter tours to White Island, one of the world’s only accessible marine volcanoes. Estimated to be a spritely 100,000 to 200,000 years old, Whakaari is a hissing, roaring ecological marvel that is bound to get the pulse racing as you walk in the midst of its ever-present fury.
The steaming and unusually fragrant town of Rotorua is an easy (65km) day trip or comfortable overnight jaunt from our hub at Tauranga. Unlike any other town in New Zealand, Rotorua sits atop a bubbling cauldron of geothermal activity that gives the town its distinct character and, believe it or not, makes it the most popular tourist destination on the whole North Island.
Stroll among seething pools of volcanic mud in the Te Whakarewarewa thermal reserve (or Whaka for short) or hang about for the big Pohutu eruption that occurs more than a dozen times each day. A great geyser of superheated water shoots 30m into the air and is a wonderful show of nature. Stay behind the barriers!
Just out of town and past the airport is Hells Gate geothermal park where, after an invigorating tour among the kaleidoscope of steaming pools, you can plunge into your own private mud bath or thermal pool. Finish it off with a full-body massage from one of the trained therapists in the Waiora Spa next door.
The famous mud can be found in the many souvenir shops concocted into bars of soap, body salves or rich hand crème. Although the signature perfume is largely disguised, it’s still not recommended for a first date.
The Tamaki Māori Village or Te Puia experience is a must-do for all visitors - the haka is guaranteed to send shivers up your spine. Also, the superb, Tudor-style Museum of Art and History is worth even a short visit.
Rotorua rightly boasts some of the best accommodation options in the country with an array of world-class and award-winning elite lodges that have become known throughout the world for exemplary dining and hospitality. Kawaha Point Lodge, Peppers On The Point, Treetops and Solitaire Lodge offer thoroughly indulgent escapes that will transport you to a new level of decadence. Spoil yourself.
Don’t rush your visit to the bay, there’s so much to see and do, you’ll inevitably wish there was more time no matter how long you stay.
More information: www.bayofplentynz.com
<<Breakout>>
Wines a-Plenty
New Zealand, fast becoming one of the world’s great wine producers, capitalises on its great soil and climatic diversity to produce a range of wines that set it apart from all others. The Waikato and Bay of Plenty region is one of the smaller zones, yet shows great promise. Some 20 vineyards and wineries already operate across the area, concentrating primarily on Chardonnay, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc as well.
Tauranga’s Mills Reef Winery is a winner of over 500 medals and 15 trophies in national and international competitions and offers the ideal visitor experience. Situated on 20 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, savour an entrée of Confit of duck on sauteed garlic shoots, shanghi and sticky char sui sauce followed by seared salmon fillet, with a prawn, tomato, dill salagrette on a bed of steamed asparagus. Enjoy with a bottle of Paddy and Tim Preston’s fabulous medium-dry 2005 Sauvignon Blanc. Swoon!
Qualmark Ratings
Qualmark® is New Zealand tourism's official mark of quality. All accommodation and tourism businesses listed here carry the Qualmark®, which means they've been independently assessed as professional and trustworthy. It can help you identify quality places to stay, things to do and ways to get around no matter where you are in New Zealand.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 29 June 2009 )
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