Tauranga () is a coastal city in the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runawa ...
region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by Europeans in the early 19th century, and was constituted as a city in 1963.
The city lies in the north-western corner of the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runawa ...
, on the south-eastern edge of
Tauranga Harbour
Tauranga Harbour is the natural tidal harbour that surrounds Tauranga CBD and the Mount Maunganui area of Tauranga, New Zealand, and which flows into the Pacific Ocean at Mount Maunganui. The harbour is effectively two flooded river systems separ ...
. The city extends over an area of , and encompasses the communities of
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, on the south-western outskirts of the city;
Greerton
Greerton is a major suburb of Tauranga, the largest city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Greerton is named after Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Harpur Greer, commander of the British forces during the Battle of Gate Pā.
Demographics
Gree ...
, on the southern outskirts of the city; Matua, west of the central city overlooking Tauranga Harbour; Maungatapu;
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...
, located north of the central city across the harbour facing the Bay of Plenty;
Otūmoetai
Otūmoetai is a suburb of the city of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand.
The Otūmoetai peninsula includes both the Otūmoetai suburb, and the neighbouring suburbs of Matua and Bellevue.
History
The name is claimed to trans ...
;
Papamoa
, image = View_to_Mayor.jpg
, caption1 = Looking towards Mayor Island down Domain Rd from the Papamoa Hills
, city1 = Tauranga
, ward =
, council = Tauranga City Council
, established =
, coord ...
, Tauranga's largest suburb, located on the Bay of Plenty; Tauranga City;
Tauranga South
Tauranga South is a suburb of Tauranga, on New Zealand's North Island. It is located south-east of Judea, north-east of Gate Pa and south-west of Tauranga Central.
Property prices in the suburb have risen sharply, largely due to demand for lan ...
; and
Welcome Bay
Welcome Bay is a suburb of Tauranga, New Zealand. It is located from central Tauranga. Neighbouring suburbs include Hairini and Maungatapu. There are a number of schools in Welcome Bay, including three primary schools.
The name Welcome Bay has ...
.
Tauranga is one of New Zealand's main centres for business, international trade, culture, fashion and horticultural science. The
Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's largest port in terms of gross export tonnage and efficiency. Tauranga is one of New Zealand's fastest-growing cities, with an 11% increase in population between the 2006 census and the 2013 census, and 19% between the 2013 and 2018 census. Due to its rapid population growth, Tauranga has become New Zealand's fifth-largest city, overtaking
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
and the
Napier Napier may refer to:
People
* Napier (surname), including a list of people with that name
* Napier baronets, five baronetcies and lists of the title holders
Given name
* Napier Shaw (1854–1945), British meteorologist
* Napier Waller (1893–19 ...
-
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
urban areas.
History
Settlement
The earliest known settlers were
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, who arrived in the 13th century at Tauranga in the
Tākitimu and the
Mātaatua waka.
At 9 am on Friday, 23 June 1826, was the first European ship to enter
Tauranga Harbour
Tauranga Harbour is the natural tidal harbour that surrounds Tauranga CBD and the Mount Maunganui area of Tauranga, New Zealand, and which flows into the Pacific Ocean at Mount Maunganui. The harbour is effectively two flooded river systems separ ...
. The Revd.
Henry Williams conducted a Christian service at Otamataha Pā.
In December 1826 and again in March 1827, the ''Herald'' travelled to Tauranga from the
Bay of Islands to obtain supplies of potatoes, pigs and flax.
In 1835 a
Church Missionary Society
The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
mission station was established at Tauranga by William Wade. Rev.
Alfred N. Brown arrived at the CMS mission station in 1838.
John Morgan also visited the mission in 1838.
Europeans trading in
flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
were active in the Bay of Plenty during the 1830s; some were transient, others married local women and settled permanently. The first permanent non-Maori trader was
James Farrow, who travelled to Tauranga in 1829, obtaining flax fibre for Australian merchants in exchange for
musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...
s and
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
. Farrow acquired a land area of on 10 January 1838 at
Otūmoetai Pā from the chiefs
Tupaea, Tangimoana and Te Omanu, the earliest authenticated land purchase in the Bay of Plenty.
In 1840, a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
mission station was established.
Bishop Pompallier
Jean-Baptiste François Pompallier (11 December 1801 – 21 December 1871) was the first Roman Catholic bishop in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two m ...
was given land within the palisades of Otūmoetai Pā for a church and a
presbytery. The mission station closed in 1863 due to land wars in the
Waikato district.
New Zealand Wars–Tauranga Campaign
The
Tauranga Campaign
The Tauranga campaign was a six-month-long armed conflict in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty in early 1864, and part of the New Zealand Wars that were fought over issues of land ownership and sovereignty. The campaign was a sequel to the invasion of ...
took place in and around Tauranga from 21 January to 21 June 1864, during the
New Zealand Wars
The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...
. The Battle of Gate Pa is the best known.
The
Battle of Gate Pā was an attack on the well fortified
Pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites o ...
and its Māori defenders on 29 April 1864 by British forces made up of approximately 300 men of the 43rd Regiment and a naval contingent. The British casualties were 31 dead (including 10 officers), and 80 wounded - the single most devastating loss of life suffered by the British military in the whole of the New Zealand Wars. The Māori defenders abandoned the Pā during the night with casualties estimated at 25 dead and an unknown number of wounded.
Tauranga CBD Fire 1936
In 1936 a large fire occurred which started in the hotel's staff quarters and drew large crowds.
Modern era
Under the ''Local Government (Tauranga City Council) Order 2003'', Tauranga became legally a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
for a second time, from 1 March 2004.
In August 2011, Tauranga received
Ultra-Fast Broadband
The Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative is a New Zealand Government programme of building fibre-to-the-home networks covering 87% of the population by the end of 2022. It is a public–private partnership of the government with four companies with ...
as part of the
New Zealand Government
, background_color = #012169
, image = New Zealand Government wordmark.svg
, image_size=250px
, date_established =
, country = New Zealand
, leader_title = Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
, appointed = Governor-General
, main_organ =
, ...
's rollout.
Geography
Tauranga is located around a large harbour that extends along the western Bay of Plenty, and is protected by
Matakana Island and the extinct volcano of
Mauao (Mount Maunganui).
Ngamuwahine River
The Ngamuwahine River is a river of the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows initially north from its source in the Kaimai Range before turning southeast to meet the Mangakarengorengo River southwest of Tauranga. Ngamuw ...
is located 19 kilometres southwest of Tauranga.
Tauranga and the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runawa ...
are situated along a faultline and so experience (infrequent) seismic activity. There are a few
volcanoes
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
around the area (mainly dormant). The most notable of these are
White Island White Island may refer to:
Places Oceania
*Whakaari / White Island, volcanic island in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
**2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption
*White Island (Otago), Dunedin, New Zealand
North America
*White Island, Paget, Bermuda
...
and Mauao, nicknamed "The Mount" by locals.
Tauranga is roughly the
antipode of
Jaén, Spain.
Here is a list of suburbs by electoral ward:
Te Papa / Welcome Bay:
*
Gate Pa
Gate Pa or Gate Pā is a suburb of Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island.
It is the location of the Battle of Gate Pā in the 1864 Tauranga campaign of the New Zealand Wars.
Demographics
Gate Pa covers and had ...
*
Greerton
Greerton is a major suburb of Tauranga, the largest city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Greerton is named after Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Harpur Greer, commander of the British forces during the Battle of Gate Pā.
Demographics
Gree ...
*
Hairini
*
Maungatapu
Maungatapu is a mountain in New Zealand located on the border of the Nelson, New Zealand and Marlborough Regions. It lies in the Bryant Range. The mountain is 1014 metres high. ''Maungatapu'' is Māori for "sacred mountain". The mountain was t ...
*
Merivale
*
Poike
Poike is one of the three main extinct volcanoes that form Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a Chilean island in the Pacific Ocean. At 370 metres above sea level, Poike's peak is the island's second-highest point after the peak of the extinct volcano T ...
*
Tauranga CBD
*
Tauranga South
Tauranga South is a suburb of Tauranga, on New Zealand's North Island. It is located south-east of Judea, north-east of Gate Pa and south-west of Tauranga Central.
Property prices in the suburb have risen sharply, largely due to demand for lan ...
*
Welcome Bay
Welcome Bay is a suburb of Tauranga, New Zealand. It is located from central Tauranga. Neighbouring suburbs include Hairini and Maungatapu. There are a number of schools in Welcome Bay, including three primary schools.
The name Welcome Bay has ...
Otumoetai / Pyes Pa:
*
Bellevue
*
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
*
Brookfield
*
Judea
Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous L ...
*
Matua
*
Omanawa
*
Otūmoetai
Otūmoetai is a suburb of the city of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand.
The Otūmoetai peninsula includes both the Otūmoetai suburb, and the neighbouring suburbs of Matua and Bellevue.
History
The name is claimed to trans ...
*
Pyes Pa
*
Tauriko
Tauriko is a suburb of Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island.
According to ''Place Names of New Zealand'' by A. W. Reed and Peter Dowling, "Tauriko" is not a Māori name—the suburb was originally named Taurico a ...
*
The Lakes Village
Mount Maunganui / Papamoa:
*
Arataki
*
Kairua
Kairua is a rural area of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. runs along its northern side, and crosses it at the northeast. Baypark Stadium is in the northwest of the area. The East Coast Main Trunk railway ru ...
*
Matapihi
*
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...
*
Moturiki Island
Moturiki Island is a small island located just off Mount Maunganui beach, in the North Island of New Zealand. The island is connected to the beach by a man made land bridge. NIWA maintains a tide meter on Moturiki Island. Moturiki Island offers ...
*
Omanu
Omanu is a beach and suburb in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island.
The white sandy beach is accessible via several public walkways through the dunes. It is a popular place to swim, surf and walk ...
*
Papamoa Beach
, image = View_to_Mayor.jpg
, caption1 = Looking towards Mayor Island down Domain Rd from the Papamoa Hills
, city1 = Tauranga
, ward =
, council = Tauranga City Council
, established =
, coord ...
*
Waitao
Others:
*
Motuopuhi Island (Rat Island)
*
Motuotau Island
*
Ohauiti
*
Waikareao Estuary
Climate
Tauranga has an
oceanic or maritime temperate climate. It can also be described as
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
.
During the summer months the population swells as holidaymakers descend on the city, especially along the popular white coastal surf beaches from
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...
to
Papamoa
, image = View_to_Mayor.jpg
, caption1 = Looking towards Mayor Island down Domain Rd from the Papamoa Hills
, city1 = Tauranga
, ward =
, council = Tauranga City Council
, established =
, coord ...
.
Demographics
In 1976 Tauranga was a medium-sized urban area with a population of around 48,000. However, the completion of a harbour bridge in 1988 brought Tauranga and The Mount closer (they amalgamated in 1989) and re-energised the economies of both parts of the enlarged city.
By 1996 Tauranga's population had grown to 82,092 and by 2006 it had reached 103,635.
In 2008 Tauranga overtook
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
to become the
sixth-largest city in New Zealand by urban area, and the
ninth largest city by
Territorial Authority
Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils and the Chatham Islands Council. District councils serve a c ...
area. With continuing growth it has now surpassed the Napier-Hastings area to become New Zealand's fifth-largest city.
Tauranga City covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
Tauranga City had a population of 136,713 at the
2018 New Zealand census
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 21,924 people (19.1%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 32,832 people (31.6%) since the
2006 census
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 50,442 households, comprising 65,868 males and 70,845 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.93 males per female. The median age was 40.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 27,564 people (20.2%) aged under 15 years, 23,235 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 58,938 (43.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 26,979 (19.7%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 81.7% European/
Pākehā
Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...
, 18.2%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, 2.9%
Pacific peoples, 7.6%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 21.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.8% had no religion, 35.5% were
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, 2.1% had
Māori religious beliefs, 1.0% were
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 0.3% were
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, 0.5% were
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and 3.1% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 21,570 (19.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 18,957 (17.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $31,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 17,493 people (16.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 51,591 (47.3%) people were employed full-time, 16,233 (14.9%) were part-time, and 3,753 (3.4%) were unemployed.
The city hosts five major head offices – Port of Tauranga,
Zespri International, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, Trustpower and Craigs Investment Partners (formerly, ABN AMRO Craigs).
Government and politics
Tauranga is located in the administrative area of the Tauranga City Council. The council consists of ten councillors and a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
. Four councillors are elected by the city at large; the remainder are elected from three wards (constituencies), with each ward electing two councillors:
* Te Papa / Welcome Bay
* Otūmoetai / Pyes Pa
* Mount Maunganui / Papamoa
Council elections are held every three years, most recently in
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
. In December 2020, the
Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Cybele Mahuta (born 21 August 1970) is a New Zealand politician who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hauraki-Waikato and serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Sixth Labour Governm ...
announced that, due to dysfunction within the elected council, the council would be replaced by commissioners until the 2022 local elections. However, then Tauranga MP
Simon Bridges
Simon Joseph Bridges (born 12 October 1976) is a former New Zealand politician and lawyer. He served as Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition between 2018 and 2020, and as the Member of Parliament for Tauranga from the to ...
said the appointment of commissioners was unnecessary and a "dramatic and draconian step."
For elections to the
New Zealand Parliament, the city of Tauranga is in the
Tauranga and
Bay of Plenty electorates.
Economy
Much of the countryside surrounding Tauranga is horticultural land, used to grow a wide range of fresh produce for both domestic consumption and export. There are many
kiwifruit
Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi in North American, British and continental European English) or Chinese gooseberry is the edible berry of several species of woody vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' ...
and
avocados orchards as well as other crops.
The
Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's largest export port. It is a regular stop for both container ships and luxury cruise liners.
Tauranga's main shopping malls are Bayfair, in Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Crossing in Tauriko. Most of the city's shopping centres are located in the suburbs. They include Fraser Cove, Tauranga Crossing, Bethlehem Town Centre,
Papamoa Plaza, Fashion Island,
Bayfair Shopping Centre
Bayfair Shopping Centre, (usually referred to as 'Bayfair' by locals), is the main shopping mall in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.
Location
Bayfair Shopping Centre is located on the corner of Maunganui Road ( State Highway 2) and Girven Road. ...
, Bay Central and Greerton Village.
Tauranga has the following business innovation centres
* The Kollective
* Newnham Park
The following companies have their
head office
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...
in Tauranga:
* Ballance Agri-Nutrients
*
Brother NZ
* C3 Limited
* Craigs Investment Partners Ltd
* Dominion Salt
* Genera Biosecurity
*
Kiwi Bus Builders
*
Port of Tauranga
* Shuzi New Zealand Limited
* Tidy International
*
Trimax Mowing Systems
Trimax Mowing Systems is a New Zealand-based manufacturer of professional turf maintenance equipment. Trimax designs, develops, builds and markets high quality roller mowers with flail or rotary blade systems. The company's headquarters are locate ...
*
TrustPower
Manawa Energy Limited, formerly Trustpower, is a New Zealand electricity generation company that offers bespoke electricity products to commercial and industrial customers across New Zealand. Manawa Energy has 26 hydro-electricity schemes, with a ...
* UNO. Magazine
*
Zespri International
Arts and culture
Religion
A wide variety of faiths are practised, including
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
,
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
,
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
,
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
,
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
and
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
. There are many denominations of Christianity including
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement ,
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
,
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
,
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
,
Exclusive Brethren
The Exclusive Brethren are a subset of the Christian evangelical movement generally described as the Plymouth Brethren. They are distinguished from the Open Brethren from whom they separated in 1848.
The Exclusive Brethren are now divided int ...
,
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church) and
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...
.
Music
The National Jazz Festival takes place in Tauranga every Easter.
Events
New Year celebrations at the Mount in
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...
are one of Tauranga's main events, bringing people from all around the country.
In 2014 Tauranga City Council granted permission for an annual Sikh parade to celebrate
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
's birthday. 2500 people took part in 2014, while in 2015, the number increased to 3500.
Sports
Tauranga has a large stadium complex in the Mount Manganui suburb,
Baypark Stadium
Trustpower Baypark Stadium (formerly known as ASB Baypark Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. It is currently used for dirt track Speedway and jetsprints events during summer, and various other events throughou ...
, rebuilt in 2001 after a similar complex closed in 1995. It hosts
Speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana
Types of races and race cours ...
events during summer and
rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
matches in winter.
Tauranga is also the home of
football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club
Tauranga City United
Tauranga City AFC is a football club based in Tauranga, New Zealand. The men's and women's teams currently both compete in the NRFL Championship.
Club history
Tauranga City AFC was formed in 1964, in 2000 they changed their name to Tauranga City ...
who compete in the
Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
The Northern Regional Football League Division 2, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 for sponsorship reasons, is a New Zealand amateur football league. The league is run by the Auckland Football Federation and includes foot ...
.
Tauranga is the home to two rowing clubs – Tauranga Rowing Club in Memorial Park and Bay of Plenty Coast Rowing Club at the picturesque
Wairoa River. Both clubs have had successful NZ representation over the years.
Tauranga has an all weather outdoor athletics ground at
Tauranga Domain.
City facilities and attractions
Greater Tauranga is a very popular lifestyle and tourism destination. It features many natural attractions and scenery ranging from popular beaches and harbour environments to lush bush-clad mountains with waterfalls and lakes.
Cultural attractions include the Tauranga Art Gallery, which opened in October 2007 and showcases local, national and international exhibitions in a range of media. On the 17th Avenue, the "Historic Village on 17th", recreates a historic setting with original and replica buildings from early Tauranga housing arts and gift shops.
Aviation interests are well served with the
Classic Flyers Museum
The Classic Flyers Museum is an aviation museum located at the Tauranga Airport, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, owned by a registered New Zealand charitable trust, the ''Bay of Plenty Classic Aircraft Trust''.
The museum has a range of flying and ...
and the Gyrate Flying Club where you can experience flying a modern gyroplane; the "motorbike of the sky".
Tauranga has many parks: one of the largest is Memorial Park, and others include Yatton Park, Kulim Park, Fergusson Park and the large Tauranga Domain. The
Te Puna Quarry Park has become a regional attraction, known for being converted from a disused quarry into a community park.
Due to the temperate climate, outdoor activities are very popular, including golf, tramping (hiking), mountain biking and white water rafting. The Bay of Plenty coastline has miles of golden sandy beaches, and watersports are very popular, including swimming, surfing, fishing, diving, kayaking and kitesurfing. Tourists also enjoy dolphin-watching on specially run boat trips.
The coastal suburb
Papamoa
, image = View_to_Mayor.jpg
, caption1 = Looking towards Mayor Island down Domain Rd from the Papamoa Hills
, city1 = Tauranga
, ward =
, council = Tauranga City Council
, established =
, coord ...
and neighbouring town Mount Maunganui are some of the more affluent areas around Tauranga. The region's beaches attract swimmers, surfers, kayakers and kitesurfers throughout the year.
Tauranga has many outlying islands and reefs that make it a notable tourist destination point for travelling scuba divers and marine enthusiasts. Extensive marine life diversity is available to scuba divers all year round. Water temperatures range from 12 degrees Celsius in winter to 22–24 degrees Celsius in summer. Tauranga houses two professional dive instructor training centres, training NAUI, PADI and SSI dive leader systems.
Infrastructure
Hospitals
Tauranga Hospital is a public secondary regional hospital located in Tauranga South, with 360 beds including neonatal, geriatric, surgical, maternity and mental health care. It provides elective and emergency healthcare across medical, surgical, paediatric, obstetric, gynaecological and psychiatric services. The main tertiary referral centre for Tauranga Hospital is
Waikato Hospital
Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcare , located in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
. As the site of the Bay of Plenty Clinical School, Tauranga Hospital provides training to medical students from the
University of Auckland
, mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work
, established = 1883; years ago
, endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021)
, budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021)
, chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant
, vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
, as well as selective and elective placements for nursing and midwifery students.
Grace Hospital is Tauranga's only private specialist surgical hospital, located in Oropi. It accommodates 6 operating theatres, 48 impatient beds, a two-bed HDU, a procedure room for minor surgery and two procedure rooms for endoscopy.
Utilities
Powerco
Powerco is the second-largest natural gas, gas and largest electricity distributor in New Zealand. It is one of only two companies to distribute both electricity and natural gas through their network (the other being Vector Limited). Its network ...
operates the local distribution network in the city, with electricity supplied from
Transpower's national grid at three substations: Tauranga (Greerton), Kaitemako and Mount Maunganui (Matapihi).
Natural gas arrived in Tauranga in 1982, following the completion of the high-pressure pipeline from the
Maui pipeline near
Te Awamutu to the city, now operated by
First Gas
First Gas Limited is a natural gas transmission and distribution company in New Zealand. First Gas's network has 2,204 km of high pressure pipelines and 4,800 km of gas distribution pipelines. Through Flex Gas, First Gas owns and operates the Ah ...
. First Gas also operates the gas distribution network within the city.
Transport
Tauranga City Council is currently responsible for approximately 530 km of roads, 700 km of footpaths, cycle ways and access ways.
Tauranga City Council also has a bit of work under way with their Transportation and Roads strategy. Their aim for the future to change current
travel behaviour from a focus on private cars to more sustainable modes such as buses, cycling and walking.
Air
Tauranga Airport
Tauranga Airport is an airport serving the city of Tauranga, New Zealand. It is located adjacent to Tauranga Harbour in the suburb of Mount Maunganui, approximately 3 km northeast of Tauranga CBD. The terminal is located to the north o ...
is served by
Air New Zealand with flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Sunair
Sunair is an airline based in New Zealand.
It operates scheduled services in the North Island. Headquartered in Tauranga, the airline flies to Hamilton, Ardmore, Whangarei, Whitianga, Motiti Island and Great Barrier Island. is based in Tauranga, operating a fleet of
light aircraft. Sunair operates from
Tauranga Airport
Tauranga Airport is an airport serving the city of Tauranga, New Zealand. It is located adjacent to Tauranga Harbour in the suburb of Mount Maunganui, approximately 3 km northeast of Tauranga CBD. The terminal is located to the north o ...
to
Whangarei,
Claris,
Whitanga and
Motiti Island.
Barrier Air
Barrier Air is a New Zealand airline that was established in 1983 by Jim Bergman as Great Barrier Airlines. The head office is located at the Domestic Terminal at Auckland Airport in Mangere, with additional offices in the terminal buildings ...
also operates from Tauranga to Great Barrier Island.
Rail
Tauranga is located on the
East Coast Main Trunk Railway.
Bus
Main transportation in the city is provided by the BayBus, with twelve routes servicing the city's population. Bay Hopper buses depart the central stops in Tauranga's CBD, Ohauiti, Mount Maunganui and Bayfair every 15 minutes, with the routes to Papamoa and Greerton half-hourly.
Bee cards were introduced for fares on 27 July 2020.
The city is also a waypoint for bus travel between cities, with the Bay Hopper, and Intercity having a daily schedule.
Education
Tauranga is home to the Bay of Plenty Tertiary Education Partnership, made up of:
*
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is a New Zealand tertiary education institute with campuses in Rotorua, Tauranga, and other towns in the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato regions. It was formed in May 2016 after the amalgamation of Bay of Plenty ...
, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
* The
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), is a Public university, public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga.
The university perfo ...
*
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi is a wānanga (indigenous tertiary education provider) in based in Whakatāne, New Zealand, established in 1991 by Ngāti Awa.
Faculty
* Taiarahia Black
* Mera Lee-Penehira
* Te Kani Kingi
* Ron Taiapa
See ...
The organisations currently share two main campuses, but are planning a new central campus. Stage 1 is expected to be open in 2017, catering for 500 but with capacity for 700, which will cost $67.3 Million.
Tauranga's secondary schools are:
*
Tauranga Boys' College
Tauranga Boys' College is a state secondary school for boys, located on the edge of the downtown area of Tauranga, New Zealand. The school was founded in 1946 as Tauranga College, before overcrowding saw the school become single-sex in 1958. The s ...
, with about 1850 boys.
*
Tauranga Girls' College
Tauranga Girls' College is a state single-sex girls secondary school in Tauranga, New Zealand. It offers the NCEA system of qualifications. The school has a roll of students from years 9 to 13 (approx. ages 12 to 18) as of The current principa ...
, with over 1500 girls.
*
Otumoetai College
Otumoetai College is a state co-educational secondary school located in Tauranga, New Zealand. The school opened in February 1965 with 206 students from years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 18) to serve the western suburbs of Tauranga. ''Otumoetai'' is cla ...
, with around 1900 students.
*
Bethlehem College, a state integrated Christian school offering
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
and Year 1–13, with around 1500 students.
*
Aquinas College :''See also List of institutions named after Thomas Aquinas''
Aquinas College may refer to any one of several educational institutions:
In Australia
*Aquinas College, Perth, Roman Catholic boys' R–12 school
*Aquinas College, Adelaide, residenti ...
a state integrated coeducational Catholic school founded in 2003 for Years 7–13, with around 800 students.
*
Mount Maunganui College
"Wisdom is More Precious Than Gold"
"No Choice But Success"
, seal_image = MountCollege.jpg
, type = State, Co-educational, Secondary (Year 9-13)
, established = 1958
, address = Maunganui RoadMount Maunganui 3116New Zealand
, co ...
, a co-educational secondary school, with over 1500 students.
*
Papamoa College
, image = View_to_Mayor.jpg
, caption1 = Looking towards Mayor Island down Domain Rd from the Papamoa Hills
, city1 = Tauranga
, ward =
, council = Tauranga City Council
, established =
, coord ...
, co-educational secondary school opened in 2011 for years 7 – 13.
* Te Wharekura o Mauao, a co-educational wharekura-ā-iwi
total immersion Māori secondary school
Total may refer to:
Mathematics
* Total, the summation of a set of numbers
* Total order, a partial order without incomparable pairs
* Total relation, which may also mean
** connected relation (a binary relation in which any two elements are compa ...
for Years 7–13, founded in 2010, with around 200 students.
* Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kura Kōkiri, a co-educational kura kaupapa Māori
total immersion school for Years 1–13, founded in 2000, with around 140 students.
ACG Tauranga, the city's first fully
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
school, offers school to Year 12.
There is also a Rudolf Steiner School in Welcome Bay, catering for birth to 12-year-olds.
Notable residents
*
Corey Anderson – international cricketer
*
Trent Boult – international cricketer
*
Tyler Boyd – footballer
*
Peter Burling – America's Cup helmsman and Olympic medallist
*
Sam Cane
Samuel Jordan Cane (born 13 January 1992) is a New Zealand rugby union rugby player. His regular playing position is as a loose forward. He currently plays for Chiefs and Bay of Plenty.
Cane made his international debut for New Zealand in 20 ...
– international rugby player
*
Bob Clarkson
Robert Moncrieff Clarkson (born 1939 in Gisborne) is a former Member of the New Zealand Parliament. He was the National Party MP for Tauranga from 2005 to 2008.
Biography
In 1958 Clarkson qualified as a fitter and turner in Gisborne. He then ...
– former Member of Parliament and property developer
* Dame
Lynley Dodd – award-winning author and illustrator, principally known for her children's picture books featuring Hairy Maclary and his friends
*
Mahé Drysdale
Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale (born 19 November 1978) is a retired New Zealand rower. Drysdale is a two-time Olympic champion and a five-time world champion in the single sculls. He is a seven-time New Zealand national champion and five-time ...
– Olympic rower
*
Tim Balme
Timothy Guy Balme (born 18 January 1967) is a New Zealand actor and screenwriter. He's most well known for his roles on the long-running soap opera ''Shortland Street'' and ''Mercy Peak'', as well as lead roles in the cult favourites ''Braindea ...
– actor, director
*
John Bracewell
John Garry Bracewell (born 15 April 1958) is a former New Zealand cricketer who was most recently the coach of the Irish national team. He played 41 Test matches between 1980 and 1990, as well as 53 One Day Internationals. He was the second N ...
– international cricketer
*
Simon Bridges
Simon Joseph Bridges (born 12 October 1976) is a former New Zealand politician and lawyer. He served as Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition between 2018 and 2020, and as the Member of Parliament for Tauranga from the to ...
– MP for
Tauranga; former Leader of the New Zealand National Party
*
Moss Burmester
Moss James Burmester (born 19 June 1981) is a New Zealand swimmer and diver. His specialist event is the 200m butterfly in which he holds the Commonwealth record of 1:54.35 set at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Burmester was born in Hastings, New Z ...
– Olympic swimmer
*
Tony Christiansen
Anthony (Tony) Steven Christiansen (born 23 October 1958) is a motivational and inspirational speaker from New Zealand who lost his legs as a result of a train accident in his childhood.
He has challenged himself in numerous sporting and busine ...
– former
Paralympics
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...
,
FESPIC Games
The FESPIC Games or the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, was a multi-sport event in Asia and the South Pacific region which is considered to be a precursor to the Asian Para Games, as two of its edition games in 1999 (7th) and ...
and World Games medallist, professional speaker and Tauranga City Councillor
* Dame
Susan Devoy
Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy (born 4 January 1964) is a former New Zealand squash player and senior public servant. As a squash player, she was dominant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning the World Open on four occasions. She served ...
– former World Squash Champion
*
Daniel Flynn – international cricketer
*
Hilda Hewlett – pioneer aviator
*
Gunnar Jackson – professional middleweight boxer
*
Jess Johnson
Jess Johnson (born 1979) is a New York-based New Zealand contemporary artist who works in drawing, installation, animation, and virtual reality. Her drawings depict alternative realms while her collaborations with Simon Ward and Andrew Clarke a ...
– artist
*
Tanerau Latimer
Tanerau Dylan Latimer (born 6 May 1986) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, Bay of Plenty.
Career
Super Rugby
Latimer made his Super Rugby debut for the in 2006, before shifting to the in 2007 ...
– former international rugby player
*
Tony Lochhead
Tony James Lochhead (born 12 January 1982) is a New Zealand former professional footballer who appeared with the New Zealand national football team.
Early life and education
Lochhead was born on 12 January 1982 in Tauranga, New Zealand. He w ...
– footballer
*
Todd Muller
Todd Michael Muller (; born 23 December 1968) is a New Zealand politician who served as the Leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition from 22 May to 14 July 2020.
Muller entered Parliament at the 2014 general el ...
– MP for
Bay of Plenty; former Leader of the New Zealand National Party
*
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith. known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, composer, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has remained in conti ...
– author of ''
The Rocky Horror Show'' (spent his formative years here)
*
Phil Rudd
Phillip Hugh Norman Rudd (born Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecius, 19 May 1954) is an Australian drummer, best known as the drummer of AC/DC across three stints. On the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans from AC/DC, Rudd became ...
– drummer for AC/DC
*
Andrew Stevenson – Olympic rower, Double World Champion Rower, NZ 1982 Sportsman of the Year
* Sir
Gordon Tietjens
Sir Gordon Frederick Tietjens (born 9 December 1955) is head coach of the Samoa rugby sevens team, and a celebrated former coach of the New Zealand men's national team in rugby sevens, the All Blacks Sevens. When the International Rugby Boar ...
– Coach of the
New Zealand national rugby sevens team
*
Kane Williamson
Kane Stuart Williamson (born 8 August 1990) is a New Zealand cricketer who is currently the Captain (cricket), captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, New Zealand national team in limited overs cricket. He is considered as New Zealand' ...
– international cricketer
Past residents
*
Kathleen Hawkins – known as the "Pioneer Poet"
*
Les Munro
Squadron Leader John Leslie Munro, (5 April 1919 – 4 August 2015) was a Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot during World War II and the last surviving pilot of the Dambusters Raid of May 1943.
Early life
Born on 5 April 1919 near Gisborne on ...
–
Dambusters veteran
*
Winston Peters – former MP for Tauranga, leader of NZ First, politician
*
Stan Walker –
R&B singer, Former
Australian Idol
''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program ''Pop Idol' ...
contestant and winner
Sister cities
Tauranga is
twinned with:
*
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
, Japan
*
San Bernardino, United States
*
Yantai
Yantai, Postal Map Romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, known as Chefoo, is a coastal prefecture-level city on the Shandong Peninsula in northeastern Shandong province of People's Republic of China. Lying on the southern coast of ...
, China
References
External links
Tauranga City Council
{{Authority control
Main urban areas in New Zealand
Territorial authorities of New Zealand
Port cities in New Zealand