landmark
Rainbow Springs Nature Park
Rotorua nature park showcasing New Zealand's unique wildlife including kiwi in a natural bush setting.
47 km · about 55 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandBay of Plenty
Tauranga
Bay of Plenty, New Zealand · Oceania
About Tauranga
Tauranga sits on the route: 10 minutes from Gate Pa, 51km from Rotorua.
Tauranga is in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, with about 160,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Gate Pa, about 4 km away.
Tauranga (Māori pronunciation: [ˈtaʉɾaŋa] , Māori language for "resting place" or "anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of 160,900 (June 2025), or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in theRead more
13th century and colonised by Europeans in the early 19th century. It was constituted as a city in 1963.
The city lies in the northwestern corner of the Bay of Plenty, on the southeastern edge of Tauranga Harbour. The city extends over an area of 141.91 square kilometres (54.79 sq mi), and encompasses the communities of Bethlehem, on the southwestern outskirts of the city; Greerton, on the southern outskirts of the city; Matua, west of the central city overlooking Tauranga Harbour; Maungatapu; Mount Maunganui, located north of the central city across the harbour facing the Bay of Plenty; Otūmoetai; Papamoa, Tauranga's largest suburb, located in the Bay of Plenty; Tauranga City; Tauranga South; and Welcome Bay.
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 and the Napier-Hastings urban areas.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Tauranga?
Within an hour or so of Tauranga: Rainbow Springs Nature Park (47 km), Hobbiton Movie Set (47 km), Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata (47 km), Rotorua (51 km).
Where is Tauranga?
Tauranga is in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, about 4 km from Gate Pa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 161,000
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Bay of Plenty
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -37.6861, 176.1667
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Tauranga
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Hobbiton Movie Set
The real-life Shire from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, with 44 hobbit holes set in rolling green Waikato farmland.
47 km · about 55 min drive
film location
Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata
The permanent Shire set with 44 hobbit holes, the Party Tree and the Green Dragon Inn, built for The Lord of the Rings and rebuilt for The Hobbit.
47 km · about 55 min drive
natural wonder
Rotorua
New Zealand's geothermal wonderland with erupting geysers, boiling mud pools, steaming lakes, and rich Māori cultural experiences.
51 km · about 60 min drive
Nearby Destinations
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