Lifestyle and Leisure
Plenty on offer
Maike van der Heide finds out what Brits living in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui most like to get up to in the spare time
When it comes to leisure time in Tauranga, the beach is best. Surfing, fishing, diving, boating, surf lifesaving and other water-related activities take up a lot of locals' time.
The beaches at Mount Maunganui - known as New Zealand's "surf city" - Papamoa and Waihi are among a myriad of great spots to spend a sunny day. Mount Maunganui is a particularly popular and iconic beach. Known for a vibrant but laid-back beach atmosphere, 'The Mount' - as it is known locally - has a range of cafes, restaurant and small shops.
Sandy and safe to swim at or surf, the beach ends at Mount Maunganui itself - a conical extinct volcano. Tracks lead to the top of the hill for a fantastic view over Tauranga and beyond.
For the Blakeway family of Tauranga, a day with the surf lifesaving club at Waihi Beach is a favourite weekend activity. Dad Peter explains that every week day, he drives to the end of his road and turns right. On weekends he drives to the end of his road and turns left - straight to the beach, so avoiding work and the temptation to pop in and check all is okay.
Waihi Beach is one of the myriad of beaches in and around Tauranga. The most popular by far is the lovely beach at Mt Maunganui, a short drive from the central city and a favourite with surfers.
As a chef, Peter is picky about where he goes out for dinner but Clarkes, a little restaurant overlooking the water, is a favourite place of his. "The chef is a good friend of ours. The kids can run around on the beach and be within shouting distance," he says.
A perfect weekend for surfing couple Michelle Elborn and Levi Wilson begins with drinks with friends on a Friday night, followed by a Saturday morning surf at Mount Maunganui, off the beach just four minutes from their home.
Michelle says the surf is fairly mild, unlike the pounding west coast surf in places like Piha in Auckland, so it is family-friendly and more suited to long boards.
Michelle says the surf will ideally be followed by lunch at Mexican cafe Mundo Mexicano in Mount Maunganui, followed by "a few beers" in the hammock on the front deck at home.
This is followed by an evening out with friends or at a barbecue. Sunday involves more surfing, diving and wakeboarding. Michelle enjoys diving off shore, or at Moturiki Island (also known as Leisure Island) off The Mount, or Hahei Reserve on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Although Michelle doesn't really rate the nightlife in Tauranga, she will go for a drink or meal at De Bier Haus, or The Sebel Trinity Wharf Tauranga, a hotel which Michelle says does great food and has a deck that overlooks the water. Most clubs and pubs are in one area called The Strand, says Michelle, but they don't offer much variety in music and atmosphere. Other eateries include City café Bravo, Breakers Café, Amphora Café and Bar in Tauranga and Astrolabe and Deckchair in the Mount.
To read Maike's story on life in the Bay of Plenty region, grab a May 2009 issue of Emigrate magazine