Cook named this coast for the productivity of its gardens, and three centuries on that is still the defining fact of everyday life here. You will eat well, seasonally, and much closer to the source than you are probably used to.
What grows here
Around eighty per cent of New Zealand’s kiwifruit comes out of this region, most of it within half an hour of Te Puke. Avocados too, along with citrus, feijoas, berries, sweetcorn and a great deal else. The practical consequence is roadside stalls: unstaffed wooden boxes at the end of orchard driveways with an honesty tin, selling whatever was picked that morning for a few dollars.
The farmers’ markets are the weekend fixture — Tauranga’s on Saturday morning, the Mount’s on Sunday, and smaller ones at Katikati and Te Puke. They are good, not tourist-facing, and half the region seems to be there.
Then there is the sea. Snapper, kahawai and trevally off this coast, mussels and pipi on the rocks, and a strong local culture of gathering kai moana. Rules on species, size and quantity are real and enforced, and there is proper tikanga around it — ask before you assume.
Eating out
Groceries and the practical stuff
The main supermarket chains all operate across the region, with large stores in Tauranga, at the Mount, in Pāpāmoa and in Whakatāne. Food in New Zealand is expensive by British or Australian standards — that is a national fact rather than a regional one, and it is the adjustment people mention most.
For specialist ingredients: Tauranga has Asian and Indian grocers, a reasonable range of halal and kosher options, and specialist butchers and delis. It is not Auckland. If a particular cuisine’s ingredients are central to how your family eats, it is worth checking what is available before you commit — the national chapter Finding your feet & your people covers where to look and which communities are established here.
“We had a lovely life in Harrogate, so moving to New Zealand wasn’t about wanting to get away from somewhere we didn’t like. But Tauranga has given us a completely different lifestyle. Being so close to the beach is probably the biggest change — we can finish work and go for a walk along the beach or have dinner outside, and at the weekends there is so much to do. I do miss things about home though. Friends and family obviously, but also silly things like the supermarkets! Food is definitely more expensive here and the supermarkets aren’t as good as the ones in the UK. There are some brilliant farmers’ markets and cafés, and the coffee is amazing, but I still really miss Marks & Spencer and Waitrose!”
The rhythm of the week
- Retail is good for the size but not deep — big shopping trips mean Auckland, or online.
- Touring music, theatre and major exhibitions mostly stop at Auckland, Hamilton or Wellington. It is a road trip, not a walk.
- Very specific imported groceries can be hard to find. Most people end up with one Auckland order a few times a year.