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Tauranga DIY


akke29
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We'll be on the Maasdam in Feb calling in Tauranga from 830-2145.  I've booked the ship's zodiac excursion, which is 2 hours, 930-1130.  Now I'm exploring options for the rest of the day after lunch.  We are likely returning to Rotorua on a post cruise day trip from Auckland so was trying to figure out the best use of our time while in port.  It appears we'll have to do it ourselves as most bookable options start in the morning.  I'm fine with DIY and am comfortable driving in NZ.  Would it be feasible to rent a car and drive down to Wai o Tapu then up to Rotorua for the Tamaki Maori village evening experience, then drive back to Tauranga in time for the sail away?  Or perhaps stick closer to port for the rest of the day and skip the evening Tamaki experience and include the geothermal experience in our return to Rotorua?

 

 

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The biggest issue I see is whether any of the car rental agencies allow after hours drop-off.  Even if they do, there are only one or maybe two within walking distance of the port, so you'd either be limited in your options or have to call for a taxi when you return.  Rotorua and Wai o Tapu took us about 6 hours combined, but we simply walked the free park in Rotorua rather than attend a Maori experience, and we only did the main trail in Wai-o-Tapu.  I would think that you'd be really pushing it to do what you plan and get back to the port by All Aboard time, which I'd assume is 2115.  Have you considered Hobitton instead, especially if you're going to Rotorua later out of Auckland?

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If you're planning on going to Rotorua after your cruise then don't bother trying to also do it on the Tauranga day. There is so much to see in Rotorua.

 

The township and beaches of Mt Maunganui are only a few minutes walk from the cruise terminal. Perhaps consider climbing Mt Maunganui then having a swim in the hot pools at the base of it. 

 

If you're there on a Sunday and like model railways (the ones you can actually ride on) then head over to Memorial Park in Tauranga where they have an amazing set-up.

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1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Does Uber operate in New Zealand?

 

Yes. Uber currently operates in 13 urban areas - Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō, Napier-Hastings, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Dunedin.

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On 1/16/2020 at 1:44 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

If you're planning on going to Rotorua after your cruise then don't bother trying to also do it on the Tauranga day. There is so much to see in Rotorua.

 

The township and beaches of Mt Maunganui are only a few minutes walk from the cruise terminal. Perhaps consider climbing Mt Maunganui then having a swim in the hot pools at the base of it. 

 

If you're there on a Sunday and like model railways (the ones you can actually ride on) then head over to Memorial Park in Tauranga where they have an amazing set-up.

 

Thanks, I've decided to just explore Tauranga on this day and not attempt to cram everything into a logistically challenging day.  I think your suggestions are great!  We'll save Rotorua for our day trip from Auckland where we are in better control of the schedule.  

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3 hours ago, akke29 said:

 

Thanks, I've decided to just explore Tauranga on this day and not attempt to cram everything into a logistically challenging day.  I think your suggestions are great!  We'll save Rotorua for our day trip from Auckland where we are in better control of the schedule.  

Good idea.  After walking around the township and beaches of Mt Maunganui, we caught the local bus to Tauranga, where we enjoyed our best shop of our NZ visit.  

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