New Zealand North Island

#2023 tripblazers Tauranga is situated in the Bay of Plenty at the North Island of New Zealand. It has an airport with flights to Wellington and Auckland but I suggest you hire a car for the 3 hour trip. Roads are not too good once you get away from the city and trips take longer. The weather is nice and relatively and it is a beautiful drive. The houses and streets do take you back in time but once you reach Tauranga you will be impressed with the beautiful beach and fresh air. The town has a number of restaurants and lovely streets with many citrus trees, advocado trees and kiwi plantations can be found around. Wine is grown nearby but I was shocked by the prices, some 2 or 3 times more than NZ wine costs in Europe. Lovely walks around Mount Maungaui and find your own sea food including abalone. If you have a car I recommend a visit to the towns around including Rotorua with it's steam rising from the ground and spring water. Rotorua is a nice town with good restaurants (great Korean food) and I can recommend a stay in the Holiday Inn next to the spring spa. Other visits in the area are the Hobbiton Movie Set, Taupo and Hamilton.