Bowentown Beach Holiday Park, Papamoa Beach TOP10 Holiday Resort and Waihi Beach Holiday Park are amongst New Zealand's finest holiday parks. At this year's Holiday Parks conference, hosted in Rotorua last month, Bowentown Beach Holiday Park was a finalist for AA Spirit of Hospitality Award, putting it in the top five holiday parks in New Zealand. Papamoa Beach TOP10 Holiday Resort won a highly commended certificate at the 2010 Holiday parks conference. This award was won by North South More...

The latest Mood of the New Zealand Traveller survey is indicating that the Western Bay of Plenty will be a busy holiday destination over Easter. The survey shows one in three kiwis are planning an Easter holiday, something which has Tauranga people, who work in the tourism industry, excited. People from Auckland and the Waikato make up the majority of the visitors and holiday in the region to go blokarting, glow-worm kayaking, surfing as well as spending time at the beach and in cafes, More...

An Argentinean family travelling the world in their 1928 Graham Paige vintage car have made a pit stop in Tauranga. The family have spent much of the past nine years driving around the world in the car, crossing between countries onboard ships. The Zapp family with their 1928 Graham Paige, which they are driving around the world. Picture courtesy of Tauranga’s Maurice O’Reilly. Herman Zapp, his wife Candelaria and their four children stopped in Tauranga for a few hours on More...

P&O’s 70,310 tonne Pacific Jewel has arrived in Tauranga today for the first time. The new passenger ship was named in Sydney in December 2009 and is intended to operate year-round between Sydney, the Pacific Islands and New Zealand. The Pacific Jewel has accommodation for 2053 passengers. See video interview below with a More...

Passengers flying the new trans-Tasman route between Rotorua and Sydney will not be charged for parking their cars at Rotorua International Airport. The free parking will be available until the end of June and will only be available for passengers travelling between Rotorua and Sydney. Passengers can exchange their boarding pass for a free parking ticket when they leave the airport. The cost to park at Rotorua International Airport for a week would normally cost $45 and the cost to park More...

Tauranga is one of the best marine destinations in the country, highly regarded for its boating, fishing and beaches. One of the activities that adds to this reputation and is available in Tauranga is the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Tourism Bay of Plenty communications manager Catherine Connell says swimming with dolphins is an unforgettable More...

The broader Bay of Plenty is well known for its geothermal activity and the leisure delights of hot pools and health retreats that are today associated with this natural wonder. Perhaps most famous are the spas and geysers in Rotorua, but Mount Maunganui has something that that central destination does not – hot salt water pools. Braced up against the base of Mauao, these hot water pools are one of the region’s best attractions, says iSite manager Petrina Page.  More...

Possibly the Bay of Plenty’s most recognisable scenery, Mount Maunganui, is a genuine landmark for the region. It is a place of great historic significance for Maori as the site of many pa, but today is used in a different way – as a recreation destination. Tauranga iSite manager Petrina Page says the number of people to walk around the Mount and take in the view each year is More...

New Year’s resolutions to improve one’s self are something most people undertake each year – with most people looking to improve their health, find love or advance their career. But why should these resolutions be so serious? Perhaps it is the seriousness of these resolutions which mean they fail all too often? One New Year’s resolution that may stick is one that creates some excitement in a person’s life – learning to surf. Tourism Bay of Plenty’s More...

With New Year’s Eve arriving, most people have their plans organised for how to celebrate the occasion. Some of the best laid plans involve bottles of wine and where better to enjoy this and some fine food than at the Bay of Plenty’s own Mills Reef Winery. Tourism Bay of Plenty communications manager Catherine Connell and iSite manager Petrina Page both enjoy a good glass of wine and say it's hard to beat such an occassion at Mills Reef More...