Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Maunganui. At the foot of the Redoubt on the end of the Strand is
Te Awa nui Waka
, a replica
Maori canoe, on display in an open-sided building.
Minden Lookout
(Minden Rd)
From Minden Lookout, about 10km west of Tauranga towards Katikati, there's
a superb view back over the cranes in Tauranga Harbour and across the Bay of Plenty. To
get there, take SH2 to Te Puna and turn off south on Minden Rd; the lookout is about 3km
up the road.
LOOKOUT
Brain Watkins House
MAP
HISTORIC BUILDING
GOOGLE MAP
( 07-578 1835;
www.taurangahistorical.blogspot.co.nz
; 233 Cameron Rd; adult/child/family $4/2/10; 2-4pm
Sun)
A demure Victorian villa stranded on a hill as the roads around it grew, Brain Watkins
House (no, not Brian) was built in 1881 from kauri (wood) and remains one of Tauranga's
best-preserved colonial homes.
Mills Reef Winery
( 07-576 8800;
www.millsreef.co.nz
;
143 Moffat Rd, Bethlehem; 10am-5pm)
Stately Mills Reef, 7km
from the town centre at Bethlehem, has tastings of its award-winning wines (dig the
chardonnay) and a refined restaurant (read: great food but not much fun) that's open for
lunch daily and dinner by reservation (mains $25 to $39).
WINERY
Huria Marae
( 07-578 7838;
www.huriamarae.co.nz
;
Te Kaponga St, Judea)
Huria Marae is on a nondescript
suburban street, but has sensational carvings both inside and out. Call to organise permis-
sion to visit, or to book a cultural experience (large groups only).
MARAE
Activities
The free
Tauranga City Walkways
pamphlet (from the i-SITE) details walks around Taur-
anga and Mt Maunganui. History buffs should pick up the free
Historic Tauranga
bro-
chure and stroll around the town's cache of historic sites.
Adventure Bay of Plenty
( 0800 238 267;
www.adventurebop.co.nz
; 2hr/half-day/full-day tours from $95/125/180)
Offers an enticing
array of adventure tours by kayak, mountain bike and horse. Half-day paddles around Mt
KAYAKING, MOUNTAIN BIKING
