Stop off in the Bay of Plenty for history, haiku and Hairy Maclary
Where to stop on your travels this summer
With 125km of white sandy beaches, it’s no surprise the Bay of Plenty is best known for its swimming, surfing and beach culture. Tourism is a big part of the local economy, so from small towns right through to the city of Tauranga, it’s well set up to to entertain its visitors.
1. Gate Pa¯ Memorial Reserve, corner of Cameron Rd and Church St, Gate Pa, Tauranga
New Zealand history will be compulsory in all schools by 2022. In the meantime, this reserve might help fill some gaps in your knowledge. One of the most famous battles of the land wars, the legendary Battle of Gate Pa¯ (Pukehinahina), was fought here in 1864.
Local historian Buddy Mikaere says it’s particularly well known for two things. The first: Ma¯ori released a sort of code of conduct before the battle began about how the wounded would be treated, and promising the safety of women and children. “Then, during the night, you had some of the Ma¯ori defenders going out and tending to the British wounded lying round the battlefield. It’s that gallantry that so affected the Victorian mindset of the time. The second reason is it represents the largest defeat ever suffered by an imperial army to indigenous troops.” Today, the battle is commemorated with a carved entrance to the park, magnificent carved pou along the perimeter, and St George’s Church with its memorial to those lost.
2. Haiku Pathway,
60 Main Rd, Katikati
See if you can find the haiku hidden in the park on river boulders.
3. Patrick’s Pies, Bethlehem, Tauranga Crossing and Rotorua
There’s no better excuse to sink your teeth into a pie, than being near one of Patrick Lam’s pie shops.
He won the supreme award at the NZ Pie awards again this year, for the seventh time. His hundreds of awards paper the walls at Patrick’s Pies in Bethlehem, Tauranga Crossing, and the aptly named Gold Star Bakery in Rotorua.
4. Hairy Maclary statues, The Strand, Tauranga
If you’re out of the gate and off for a walk, see if you can spot Hairy
Maclary and his friends from Donaldson’s Dairy.
All the favourites from the children’s storybooks are on The Strand, including Slinky Malinki who is keeping a safe distance.
5. DeLuxe Theatre, 127 Church Street, O¯ po¯tiki
The DeLuxe is a real, old-fashioned community movie theatre. Run by a trust, volunteers keep the theatre ticking, and it hosts a few screenings a day as well as community events.