A 9-kilometre loop, a paved 6-kilometre section and historic sites with nationally significant collections represent different sides of Tauranga District. When planning your trip, it is worth looking at the specific routes and Mauao’s current closure; art and history offer another distinct focus.

Walking and cycling routes with different layouts

The Waikareao Estuary Walkway is a 9-kilometre loop suitable for walking and cycling. The Kōpūrererua Valley Walkway, by contrast, includes a 6-kilometre paved section between The Lakes and Waihi Road. This gives you a choice between a loop and a section with named endpoints; the paved surface is an explicit feature of the Kōpūrererua section.

The Pāpāmoa Walkway connects Pacific View Road and Wairakei Reserve and offers routes for walking and cycling. The Kopurererua Valley Reserve is a separate landscape feature: it covers about 258 hectares of farmland, native bush and ponds. This combination of different route types and landscape features makes the specific details more useful than a comparison based on distance alone.

The Marine Parade Coastal Pathway is designed for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair and mobility aid users, skaters and scooter users. It continues the existing Main Beach Boardwalk at Mount Maunganui. The user groups it serves and its continuation of the boardwalk give it a different profile from the loops and sections in Waikareao and Kōpūrererua Valley.

Mauao: cultural significance and current closure

Mauao rises to 232 metres; from its summit, Te Tihi o Mauao, the view extends across Te Awanui, the surrounding islands and the Pacific Ocean. Mauao is the sacred tūpuna maunga of the Iwi of Tauranga Moana and of the Iwi Te Arawa and Waitaha. Five kōhatu whakairo, or stone carvings, on the mountain depict traditional legends and ancient stories.

The closure is an important consideration when planning: Mauao is completely closed to the public until further notice because major landslides have made the area unsafe. At its base is Te Ara Tūtanga, a 3.4-kilometre loop that allows visitors to walk through the natural surroundings; because of the closure, this track is also currently closed to the public. Check the closure notice again before your trip.

Art and city history

Toi Tauranga Art Gallery is the anchor of Tauranga’s Te Manawataki o Te Papa cultural precinct. It reopened in 2025. For an art-focused stay, the City Art Walk Tauranga also offers a way to discover the stories behind the city’s extensive public art collection. Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, Tauranga’s leading performing arts venue, is also in the city centre.

The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is one of New Zealand’s oldest historic sites. The grounds include Category 1 heritage buildings and nationally significant collections. The Elms Mission Station is considered the founding settlement of European settlement in the city of Tauranga. Tours are offered daily from 10 am to 3 pm without prior booking; check the hours before your visit.

The regional context extends beyond the city: in the Bay Of Plenty, the timber library and mission house at The Elms are the region’s oldest known surviving buildings. Their national significance stems from the way they reflect early contact between the Church Missionary Society and Māori in the Bay Of Plenty. A visit to the historic site can therefore be connected both with Tauranga’s city history and with a broader regional context.

Seasonal activities and getting around

Waimarino Adventure Park offers kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. It operates seasonally; the park is closed in winter and opening depends on the season. Keep this in mind if you plan to include paddling in your trip.

For getting around, Baybus provides a network map for Tauranga that includes Pāpāmoa and Te Puke. The Arataki bus hub is on Farm Street, behind Bayfair Shopping Centre in Tauranga. For a specific journey, use the network map along with up-to-date service information.

Discover more destinations: Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, Omokoroa, Omanawa, Ohauiti, Kawerau District, Rotorua District, Opotiki District

For the broader travel overview: Bay Of Plenty.