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Tauranga
Population:	107,700 (urban) 101,200 (territorial)
Urban Area
Extent:	Omokoroa to Papamoa Beach and south to Tauriko & Ohauiti
Territorial Authority
Name:	Tauranga City
Mayor:	Stuart Crosby
Extent:	Wairoa River to Papamoa Beach and south to Tauriko & Welcome Bay
Land Area:	168km²
See also:	Western Bay of Plenty District
Regional Council
Name:	Environment Bay of Plenty
Website:	http://www.envbop.govt.nz

Tauranga (population 109,100 — 2006 census) is the largest city of the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the ninth largest New Zealand city and the centre of the 6th largest urban area. Tauranga is 105 km east of Hamilton and 85 km north of Rotorua, and is the city with the fastest growing population in New Zealand. It is expected to be the 5th largest urban area within a few years overtaking Dunedin.

The "City of Tauranga" was reproclaimed in 2003, after status was lost after 1989 Local Body reforms. The City of Tauranga includes the major suburbs/areas of Tauranga Central (The Avenues), Matua, Tauriko(being built), Otumoetai, Bethlehem, Mount Maunganui, Greerton, Papamoa, Ohauiti, Maungatapu and Welcome Bay.

Major growth is occurring in this city (arguably the fastest in New Zealand), with Papamoa expected to be a city in itself by 2020, with a population the size of Nelson. (According to SmartGrowth, from Census growth figures and Statistics NZ).

Contents 1 Location 2 Attractions 3 History 3.1 First settlers 3.2 Early trading 3.3 Missionaries 3.4 Māori Wars 3.5 Modern age 4 Geography 4.1 Climate 5 Education 6 Notable residents 7 Sister cities 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

Tauranga is located at the head of a large harbour which extends along the western Bay of Plenty, and is protected by Matakana Island. The town and headland of Mount Maunganui stand at the entrance to the harbour, five kilometres north of Tauranga. "The Mount", as it is known, is often regarded as a satellite town of Tauranga.

The name Tauranga comes from Māori, it roughly translates to "a sheltered anchorage".

Due to its sheltered position on the east coast, Tauranga enjoys a warm, dry climate. This has made it a popular location to retire to. During the summer months the population swells as the holidaymakers descend on the city.

Much of the countryside surrounding Tauranga is horticultural land, used to grow a wide range of fresh produce for both domestic consumption and export. The area is particularly well known for growing tangelos (a grapefruit / tangerine cross) and kiwifruit. The Port of Tauranga also experiences brisk but seasonal shipping traffic and is a regular stop off for both container ships and luxury cruise liners.

Greater Tauranga is a very popular retirement and tourism destination. It features many natural attractions and scenery.

The earliest known settlers arrived from the Takitimu and Mataatua waka in the 12th century. It was named "Tauranga", meaning "landing place".^[1]

Traders in flax were active in the Bay of Plenty during the 1830s; some were transient, others married local women and settled permanently. The first permanent trader was James Farrow, who traveled to Tauranga in 1829, obtaining flax fibre for Australian merchants in exchange for muskets and gunpowder. Farrow acquired half an acre of land on January 10, 1838 at Otumoetai Pā from the chiefs Tupaea, Tangimoana and Te Omanu, the earliest authenticated land purchase in the Bay of Plenty.^[2]

During the 1820s, missionaries from the Bay of Islands visited the Tauranga district to obtain supplies of potatoes, pigs and flax. In 1840, a Catholic mission station was established. Bishop Pompallier was given land within the palisades of Otumoetai Pā for a church and a presbytery. The mission station closed in 1863 due to land wars in the Waikato district.

The Tauranga Campaign took place in and around Tauranga, from 21 January 1864 to 21 June 1864, during the Māori Wars. The Battle of Gate Pa is the most well-known.

Tauranga is the fastest growing city in New Zealand. The population as of the census in 2006 was over 109,100 people, meaning that the city has tripled in size in a little over 25 years. The population increase is due mostly to retirees settling in the city, and sun and surf seekers. Mount Maunganui had in the past a large population of surfers but most of these have made the move to the Gold Coast of Australia for better pay and more consistent waves.^{[citation needed]} It is also a popular lifestyle city. Although the population has increased dramatically, the city is proportionally underrepresented in businesses other than retail which is over-saturated,^{[citation needed]} and the CBD reflects a city of less than half the population as that of Tauranga. This is mainly because of many outer suburb areas having shopping centres including Bayfair, Fraser Cove, Fashion Island and Palm Beach Plaza spreading retail dollars thin in the area as property values and rents are very high. Tauranga has earned the nickname "ten dollar Tauranga" in the past, due to low wage rates, but wages have increased and even the minimum wage is now more than $10 per hour.^[3]

Under the Local Government (Tauranga City Council) Order 2003,^[4] Tauranga became (legally) a city for a second time from 1 March 2004.

Weather averages for Tauranga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	23.9 (75)	23.8 (75)	22.3 (72)	19.9 (68)	17.1 (63)	14.9 (59)	14.3 (58)	14.9 (59)	16.3 (61)	18 (64)	20 (68)	21.9 (71)	18.9 (66)
Average low °C (°F)	14.5 (58)	14.7 (58)	13.5 (56)	10.9 (52)	7.9 (46)	6 (43)	5.2 (41)	6.1 (43)	7.8 (46)	9.3 (49)	11.3 (52)	13.1 (56)	10 (50)
Precipitation mm (inch)	74 (2.9)	78 (3.1)	128 (5)	105 (4.1)	91 (3.6)	128 (5)	122 (4.8)	115 (4.5)	104 (4.1)	94 (3.7)	85 (3.3)	87 (3.4)	1,198 (47.2)
Source: NIWA Climate Data[5] 1971 – 2000

Tauranga is home to the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic as well as a branch of the University of Waikato.

State secondary schools include:

• Aquinas College
• Tauranga Boys' College, with over 1500 boys.
• Tauranga Girls' College, with over 1500 girls.
• Mount Maunganui College
• Otumoetai College
• Bethlehem College-A christian educational institution for kindergarten, primary and secondary level students

State Primary and Intermediate Schools include:

• Tauranga Intermediate which schools approximately 1152 year 7 & year 8 students and is the largest dedicated intermediate school in New Zealand.
• Otumoetai Intermediate
• Otumoetai Primary School has a roll of 550 primary-aged students.
• Te Akau ki Papamoa School a full primary school in Papamoa with 400 students.
• Tahatai Coast School
• Papamoa Primary

Christian educational institutions in Tauranga include Bethlehem Campus, a college for both children and adults established in 1988; South Pacific Bible College, a Christian preaching and missions school founded in 1982; and Aquinas College, a Catholic college established in 2003.

• Hilda Hewlett - pioneer aviator
• Phil Rudd - drummer for AC/DC
• Richard O'Brien - author of The Rocky Horror Show (spent his formative years here)

• Yantai, China
• Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan
• Susaki, Kōchi, Japan

• Port of Tauranga

1. ^ http://www.citynews.co.nz/vtours/tauranga/index.html
2. ^ http://ourcity.tauranga.govt.nz/heritage/history/traders/
3. ^ Bay of Plenty places - Tauranga. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ Climate Data. NIWA. Retrieved on November 2, 2007.

• Insider's' guide to the Western Bay
• A portal site
• Tourism Bay Of Plenty portal site
• Tauranga City Council
• Tauranga City Libraries
• Local History portal — Tauranga City Libraries
• Local newspaper — The Bay of Plenty Times
• education in Tauranga at gotauranga.co.nz
• Street Map of Tauranga

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Coordinates: 37°41′S, 176°10′E