Tauranga & Mount Maunganui: Half-Day Shore Tour with Kiwi Orchard & Falls

4.67

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We barely made it off the ship before the smell of salt and sunscreen hit me — Mount Maunganui just kind of wraps around you like that. Our guide, Janine, waved us over by the port gates and I liked her straight away; she had this easy way of pointing out things I’d never have noticed. There were surfers out already, even though it was still early, and that long white stretch of sand really does go on forever. We drove along Marine Parade gawking at houses that probably cost more than my whole street back home.

Crossing the bridge into Tauranga proper, Janine started telling us about old Māori legends tied to Mauao (she said it better than I ever could). We stopped outside The Elms — she explained how it’s one of New Zealand’s oldest heritage sites but we didn’t go in, just stood by the fence while she shared a story about early settlers and Māori meeting here. It felt like standing at the edge of someone else’s memory. Then came Gate Pa — I’ll admit I didn’t know much about the battle before this trip. She talked about Hēni Te Kiri Karamū tending to wounded soldiers at night; I could see her face light up when she told it.

The kiwifruit orchard was next — if you’ve never stood under those vines with the sun poking through, you’re missing something weirdly peaceful. Tried a slice straight from the source (tangier than what we get at home) and got sticky fingers. Janine handed around manuka honey too — thick, almost floral — and told us how locals use it for everything from toast to sore throats. At McLaren Falls Park we followed a stream through cool forest, listening to birds I couldn’t name. There was a moment where all you could hear was water rushing over rocks and someone’s laugh echoing back up the trail.

I still think about that muffin at the cottage café — warm enough to melt butter in seconds, paired with strong coffee that cut right through my jet lag. On the way back we stopped for hokey pokey ice cream (I’d never heard of it either), which is apparently non-negotiable in New Zealand. The tour wrapped up back at Mount Maunganui; some folks wandered off to shop but I just sat on a bench for a bit, watching people come and go under those big pohutukawa trees. Funny how half a day can feel so full.