Frenchy

well having lived in Blenheim for the past 8 years I am making a move to Tauranga. Job at the hospital starts early December. Flew up last weekend and purchased a house in Welcome Bay. Un conditional in 3 days lol....

Anyone here from the area got any tips on life in general, best coffee shops, markets etc. keen to get my social life back up to speed and hopeful that area more cosmopolitan than little old Blenheim lol

snaps

You'll not be far from Rotorua, so loads of coffee houses and take-aways on offer there/here. A very small Thursday night market in central Rotorua offering the usual fruit and veg. I'm pretty sure Tauranga has everything you'll need though and more.

suza712565

Hi my husband starts his job in Tauranga in January.

escapedtonz

Moving to Bethlehem, Tauranga in 21 sleeps Been in Wellington since we arrived in March 2012 but wanna be close to Mt. Maunganui
My wife's currently a practice nurse but is very much missing hospital life. She was a sister in ICU for 14 years and misses it like mad, so she may look in to working at the hosp ?
Don't really know much about Welcome Bay. Had a drive around and that's about it. We decided it was too far from the Mt. and too far for me to drive to work (near Hamilton airport) so looked to be closer to both which is why we've picked Bethlehem.
I know Columbus Coffee is great on the Bethlehem shopping precinct and so is the pub for food & drink there. Otherwise my experience is at the Mt.
Love Zambezi café/coffee shop on Maunganui Road and being English you must try Fishbox junction Rata St and Maunganui Rd (on the roundabout). He's a guy from Leeds and has gravy, mushy peas, curry sauce etc and it's defo the best f & c I've had from any takeaway in NZ

snaps

Next time I'm there I'll give it a try https://www.facebook.com/fishboxtauranga

Justcol

Goodness me, you took your time.
I really hope it all works out for you and it turns out to be everything you're hoping it will be.
Let me know when you are planning to make the move, I'll drop you a line next time I've got my spazzy dog over
there for a run on the beach, you can treat me to a coffee

Frenchy

Thanks Col. I will be up there from 22nd November, be great to see you and the spazz dog lol

Woodlea

WOW, that's a long commute??

Justcol

Yes it is, around 100km each way, thats a lot of gas and a lot of cash just to get to work.

escapedtonz, you might want to consider turning left and heading towards Te Awamutu at the roundabout on SH1
then turning right on to Kaipaki road towards the airport.
SH1 through Cambridge can get pretty congested in the mornings so the other route might shorten the time if not the distance

escapedtonz

Yeah it's a longish commute. I used to commute 40 miles in the UK so this is only half as far again. I have a colleague who lives at the Mt. and has done a slightly longer commute for many years. It's 99KM from the house to work and I'll be doing it by car or when the weather is fine Bike!
Sure I'll be fine.
The TA option is another 35km's and 29 minutes so won't be going that way in a hurry.
SH1 through Cambridge will be fine for me. I only work Days and Nights 12 hours, so when I'm working a Day I start at 06:15 so I'll be leaving around 04:50 and doubt there'll be much traffic on the road then.
On Nights, the plan is to only do the commute once each way and stop over in Hamilton in between. I'll start at 18:15 so will be leaving around 16:30, but doubt the traffic will be bad for me on SH29 or through Cambridge. I'm assuming the traffic will be going the other way.

Justcol

Think you might have got my suggestion mixed up, the route to the airport through Leamington is shorter than the SH1 option
but at the times your travelling it wont make a difference.
Keep to the left when going over the Kaimais, Kiwis think nothing of crossing a solid yellow line and passing a truck around a blind l/h bend.

Perry Groves

Whakatane is nice for a visit

Justcol

or just carry on along the coast road if you get a weekend off, its very peaceful and remote in places.

JackandE

Hi, Well just to say that we are relocating to Welcome Bay from Snells Beach, which is 50k north of Auckland. We move next week 1st November, we may not be in the same age bracket but we can certainly maybe help each other. We don't know anyone also and would like to meet other folk with good sense of humour. This will be our 7th move since coming to NZ in 2008....so we are hoping the BOP will be the place to stay. I like badminton and would like to know if there are any good places to play and meet other like minded people. My hubby and I are in late 50s.........any suggestions.

Frenchy

Hello
we are in the same age bracket and my place is in Welcome Bay. Move in on 22nd November. Sorry cant help with sports facilities but there will be loads. I have sent pm with my mobile number