Making the most of Tauranga
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The Port of Tauranga provides a full range of services. Mount Maunganui’s shopping center, banks and town are a short stroll away, as are two magnificent beaches: a gentle inner-harbor beach and a well-known ocean-side surf beach. Tauranga, the bigger town, can be reached by shuttle.
Tauranga city is 6.7km (4.2 miles) away, while Rotorua is 78.4km (48.1miles). Reach Tauranga city by bus 5 or an around 8 minutes taxi ride. Cruise lines often provide shuttle buses.
At the pier end, the tourist information booth supplies maps and brochures and books excursions.
Local and Rotorua tours from Qualmarked tour operators outside the port gates can be booked through the iSite on Salisbury Ave.
In the "pen", lots of rental vans and cars line up ready, carrying Rent Me signs on them.
Bring a printable map along.
Mount Maunganui rises 232 meters from the sea. Walking tracks on the extinct volcano lead to 360 degree views across the Bay of Plenty’s entire length, with a 1 hour 30 minutes hike to the top. Below are Mount Hot Pools, a natural heated-saltwater pool area with drinks, snacks, showers, changing room, spa services and free wi-fi.
At the heart of Bay of Plenty, Tauranga is about 2.5 hours south of Auckland. Sunshine and beautiful beaches have made it one of New Zealand's fastest-growing areas, yet its only about 100,000 people still have generous space to themselves. The Strand downtown holds the densest attractions and perhaps biggest crowds. Tauranga has lots of offices as the financial hub, though most passengers go to Rotorua.
At Hobbiton Movie Set, major scenes from Tolkien's iconic Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies were shot. Visit only on a 2-hour guided walking tour; it is about an hour from Tauranga.
Getting around
At the Port of Tauranga’s Salisbury Ave side, Mount Maunganui’s new welcoming i-port shelter is packed with leading tourism operators. Created for cruise-ship visitors disembarking there, it opens 6am to 11am, pending tides and cruise ship arrival and departure.
Local Tauranga buses cover most area locations, including Papamoa and Mt. Maunganui. A summer ferry runs to Mt. Maunganui. Citicabs, Coastline and Tauranga Taxis are the town’s three taxi companies, with taxis available at the wharf.
Nearby places
About an hour from Tauranga, Hobbiton Movie Set was used for major scenes in Tolkien's iconic the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies. It can only be visited on a 2-hour guided walking tour.
Rotorua is just under an hours drive from Mount Maunganui port. Buses between Tauranga & Rotorua are infrequent and aimed more at workers; with one destination in mind, the best option is a rental car if you are comfortable driving on the left hand side. Beyond Polynesian spa, nearby free sights include thermal Kuirau park’s small hot lake and bubbling mud pools. Ohinemutu has the adjacent Maori Church of St. Faiths and one of the country's best known Marae, with its carvings and…
Te Puia lets you meet Southern Hemisphere’s biggest naturally active geyser, Pohutu Geyser, kiwi at the Kiwi Conservation Centre and jumping mud pools. At the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, watch weavers and carvers demonstrate their skills and hear guides tell ancestral stories.
Within a 10-15 minute drive of the port, visit The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga historic site to learn New Zealand’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
Food and shopping
Mount Maunganui shops are a short walk from the ship. On leaving the gate, turn right to the roundabout, then left along the main shopping street. An information leaflet with map will probably be given at the port gate.
Money
New Zealand uses the New Zealand dollar. A few traders, particularly in tourist destinations, accept foreign currency. The approximate US-to-NZ dollar conversion is US$1=NZD1.30.
Automatic teller machines (ATMs), called 'the hole in the wall' locally, are available in almost every town.
Staying connected
The official New Zealand languages are Maori, New Zealand Sign Language and English, which is universal and written with Commonwealth (“British”) spelling.
The New Zealand emergency telephone number is 111.
Public Internet access is available at many public libraries, generally for a charge.