Tauranga locals and visitors have the chance to meet a real rock star and donate to the Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter.

The Port of Tauranga's popular summer tours starts Monday, January 11, and will see fertiliser manufacturer Balance bring in a phosphate rock.

An aerial view of Ballance. Photo: Supplied.

For some people, going to have a look at a rock may not be high on their agenda, but this rock contains phosphorus, which is essential to soil health, the rock is responsible for almost everything that ends up on our tables over the holiday season.

'Whether a delicious rack of barbecued lamb, a summery salad or stone fruit, it all starts with phosphorus which helps roots, flowers, seeds and fruits to develop,” says a statement from Ballance.

'The Ballance leg of the Port of Tauranga tour provides a fascinating insight into how a completely insoluble chunk of phosphate rock can turn into the superphosphate which supports soil fertility on farms, orchards and market gardens around the country.”

The guided bus tour follows the rock from its arrival at the Port, through the manufacturing process to the end product, opening the doors on the fertiliser plant that has sat on its Hewletts Road site since the 1950s.

The bus then travels back across Hewletts Rd and continues its tour of the Port of Tauranga.

The tours run twice daily at 9am and 11am from Monday 11 to Thursday 21 January (excluding Sunday).

For bookings contact the Port of Tauranga office, 07 572 8899. Tickets are $5 per person, with $1 from every ticket donated to the Port of Tauranga Rescue Winch.