The City of Tauranga, New Zealand.

Tauranga is the largest city in the region of the Bay of Plenty, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the fifth largest city in New Zealand. It is approximately 205 km (127 mi) south-east of Auckland. Tauranga has an urban population of 116,000 (June 2008 estimate),and covers 64.9 sq miles (168 km). Tauranga has two parliamentary seats, Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty.

Tauranga is one of New Zealand's fastest growing cities, with a 14% increase in population between the 2001 census and the 2006 census.

The City of Tauranga was constituted in 1963. It was renamed Tauranga District in 1989, after the local body reforms, but was reproclaimed a city in 2004.

Tauranga is one of New Zealand's main centers for business, international trade, culture, fashion, horticultural science, education and entertainment. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic places, with the largest port in New Zealand, the Port of Tauranga.

Tauranga's suburbs and other areas include The Avenues, Matua, Tauriko, Otumoetai, Bethlehem, Greerton, Ohauiti, Brookfield, Maungatapu and Welcome Bay, and the northern coastal strip of Mount Maunganui, Omanu, Arataki, Bayfair, Papamoa and Papamoa East.

The name Tauranga comes from Māori, it roughly translates to "a sheltered anchorage". Tauranga is the largest city in New Zealand with a Maori name.

Events

The National Jazz Festival is one of the many that take place in Tauranga every Easter, with dozens of live acts, great food and excellent wine.

New Year celebrations at the Mount in Mount Maunganui are one of Tauranga's main events, bringing people from all around the country.

Lifestyle

The coastal suburb Papamoa and neighbouring town Mount Maunganui are some of the more affluent areas around Tauranga. The region’s beaches attract swimmers, surfers, kayakers and kite surfers throughout the year.

Tauranga has many outlying islands and reefs that make it a notable tourist destination point for travelling scuba divers and marine enthusiasts. Extensive marine life diversity is available to scuba divers all year round. Water temperatures range from 12 degrees Celsius in winter to 22-24 degrees Celsius in summer. Tauranga houses two professional dive instructor training centres, training NAUI, PADI, and SSI dive leader systems.

Accommodation options such as hotels, motels, holiday parks and lodges make the most of the coastal views.

Geography

Tauranga is located around a large harbour that extends along the western Bay of Plenty, and is protected by Matakana Island and the extinct volcano of Mauao.

Situated along a fault line, Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty experience infrequent seismic activity, and there are a few volcanoes around the area (mainly dormant). The most notable of these are White Island and Mauao (Mount Maunganui), nicknamed "The Mount" by locals). Content via Wikipedia