Morning all! I really enjoy sharing things to see and do in my hometown of Tauranga and also love to read other bloggers' posts about things they are up to in their home town. So I thought I'd write a 'My Place: Tauranga' post to share some of my family's favourite places and things to do here, especially with the school holidays coming up. Then I had an idea that if some more bloggers wrote their own 'My Place' posts we could all link up our posts so we have one place to find and read each other ideas and tips if we are going on holiday to your town or city. It is so handy to get ideas before going somewhere in regards to things to do with the kids, child friendly cafe's, good playgrounds, good picnic spots etc but it's quite hard to find that out if you are going somewhere where you don't know anyone that lives there
(Mika I think you would be keen to write one as you always have great ideas for things to do in Wellington?!)
And it doesn't have to be just a NZ thing- I would love to have anyone link up-I might not be going to Paris or Melbourne or your town or city in America anytime soon but I would love to read your posts and see some photo's of your towns or cities (virtual travel!) and there might be other readers who are going to your home town so your post would be helpful for them. And I would LOVE to read other Tauranga bloggers ideas as well as I'm sure there is a lot of the BOP I still don't know about!
Blogging is such an amazing way to connect with people from all over the world so it would also be really neat to read and learn a bit about where you come from and what you enjoy doing with your family. I'm sure my kids would really enjoy looking at your posts too and seeing what you get up to in your place- it would be fun to compare what kiwi kids get up to in the weekend compared with kids in New York or London for example!
Below is my list of some of my favourite spots and then underneath I've made a list so if you want to join in you can just copy and paste the headings relevant to you and add to them, or just write your own list. I'll leave the linky thing open indefinitely as I know how long it might take to write your post
(I started this one last year with grand plans of sharing it before the christmas holidays!) I've put a button at the top of my blog so this post is easy to find (you could put it on your blog too if you want).
When you link up with your post put the name of your home town or city in the title so it's really easy for others to find the place or places they want to read about.
I really look forward to hopefully reading some of your posts soon (we are going to Auckland in the school holidays hint hint ;)
Happy 'arm chair traveling' or real life traveling everyone!
My Place: Tauranga
Best Picnic Spots
- Day time- Mount Maunganui Main Beach, Te Puna Quarry or McLarens Falls
- Early evening- Pilot Bay, Mount Maunganui-really fab place to take the kids for an early dinner in summer
Best Fish n Chips
Bobbies Fresh Fish Market, Dive Crescent, Tauranga (can buy and eat on the wharf there)
Best Park/Playgrounds
- Mount Drury playground, just down from the main street in Mount Maunganui. Grab a coffee from Cafe 88 in the Mount Main Street first.
- Kulim Park in Tauranga-a lovely park right by the harbour
- Lees Park in Brookfield is great-fully fenced and has an awesome tyre swing!
Best place to go for an ice-cream
Copenhagen Cones at the base of the Mount, Adams Ave, Mount Maunganui
Best cafes
- Cafe 88, Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui
- Tay St cafe, corner of Tay St and Marine Parade, Mount Maunganui
- Slow Fish, opposite the Mount Main Beach, Mount Maunganui
- Alimento's, First Ave, Tauranga
- The Med Cafe, Devonport Road, Tauranga
- Grange Road cafe, Otumoetai, Tauranga
Best child friendly cafe's
Need some help with this one! I do like Alimento's in Tauranga as it has an outdoor space large enough for noisy kiddies, and their indoor space is generous too. At the Mount we prefer to get a take away coffee from a cafe opposite the Mount Main Beach and enjoy it over the road while the kids play on the beach- 3 kids in a cafe is not ideal!!
Family things to do
- walk the Mount- Mauao Base Track, Mount Maunganui- this is something nearly every visitor (and a lot of locals as well) do- it's a 3.4 km walk and is one of NZ's most popular short walks- robust buggies/prams can get around too. Can climb the Mount too - 4 years + should be able to do this and the view at the top is stunning.
- play on the beach- anywhere from the Mount Main Beach all the way to Papamoa
- Feed the ducks at the Gordon Carmichael Reserve, Bethlehem- also has a great playground and walk way
- Go to the Mount Manganui hot pools
- Climb to the top of Mt Drury at the Mount (its more a small hill so little ones's can get up there no probs) and have a picnic breakfast (my friend Rosie's great idea)
Rainy day things to do
- Baywave Aquatic and Leisure Centre
- Lollipops or Chipmunks kids playgrounds
- Playground at Bunnings...(definitely need some more ideas for things to do here on a rainy day!!!)
Day trips
- McLarens Falls, about 20 minutes out of Tauranga would have to be my new favourite place to head to for a picnic, a walk and some stunning scenery. Absolutely beautiful in Autumn especially. You can feed ducks there too and there is a cafe as well.
- Te Puna Quarry Park, 15 minutes north of Tauranga is an amazing place for kids and adults- it was an old quarry that has been transformed into a huge park with many different gardens, sculptures, walks, incredible views and lots of other fun surprises for the kids.
- Yatton Park in Greerton, Tauranga is a beautiful park with huge trees, picnic tables and a waterfall feature.
- Omokoroa has a lovely child friendly beach and playground right beside it
- Karangahake Gorge is a bit further out (around 50 minutes drive from Tauranga) but is a stunning place to go for a picnic and a walk or bike ride across old railway bridges and through a 1km long old railway tunnel. Catch the train back to Waihi for a fun experience.
Best kid-friendly restaurants
Best 'night out without the kids' restaurants
Favourite Craft Stores
Tauranga/Mount Fashion Labels/Stores
Favourite Kids Stores
And some websites for you...
So here's my list to copy and paste- feel free to add, change or make your own-I might add some other shops I really like too when I get a chance. Looking forward to hopefully reading your 'My Place' posts!
Best Picnic Spots
Best Fish n Chips
Best Park/Playgrounds
Best place to go for an ice-cream
Best cafes
Best child friendly cafe's
Family things to do
Rainy day things to do
Day trips
Best kid-friendly restaurants
Best 'night out without the kids' restaurants
Favourite Craft Stores
Favourite Clothes shops
Favourite Kids Stores
Favourite retail stores
Megan x
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