Today we arrived in Tauranga, our third visit to this delightful spot, and a stop we always enjoy. We were here in April 2025 on Celebrity Edge and December 2025 on Discovery Princess. The shops in the township of Mount Maunganui are reliably interesting, and we’ve built up a few happy memories here. Last April we were in town on Record Store Day and spent it in the historic village. This year we headed out to Robyn’s Cottage in Greerton, a quaint little township on Tauranga’s southern side.
Greerton is one of the established parts of the city, built around a compact village strip with a genuinely local feel. Mardi was continuing her ongoing quest for fabric, though nothing quite caught her eye. We then worked our way through every op shop in Greerton, and there were four of them within fifty metres of each other. We speculated aloud about what that said about the socio-economic situation here, although there is a kinder reading too. In a place like Greerton the charity shops, the bakery, and the local cafes are part of everyday life rather than passing trade, and that community feel is a lot of the charm.
Then we walked past a pie shop and were pulled straight in by the smell. You know the one. That thick pie shop smell of baked pastry and delicious filling, an iconic part of the Kiwi identity. And this was no ordinary pie shop. The back wall was lined with awards, and a neon sign out the front announced it as a golden pie winner. We had no choice but to try.
This was Baker Bob’s on Chadwick Road, run by husband and wife team Geemun Chao and Mony Rath Chhoeuy. They’re not just a good local pie shop, they’re among the best in the country. At the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards, the national benchmark for the humble Kiwi pie, they’ve collected multiple gold medals over the years, including gold for their steak and cheese, and gold in the mince and cheese category. More recent years have added silvers and bronzes, including for a vegetarian pie of spinach, pumpkin, and kūmara.
So we were in good hands. Mardi had the steak and mushroom and I had the steak and pepper. Both delicious, and you could taste exactly why the shop has so many medals. Baker Bob didn’t disappoint.
From there we walked about thirty minutes to Gate Pa, a small mall, because Mardi wanted to visit Spotlight. It had closed down. So we had a look around and then Ubered back to Mount Maunganui.
We really do love wandering the streets at the Mount, and no visit is complete without popping into Tommy Bahama. It’s an American brand built around an easy, upmarket island-resort look, all relaxed tailoring, silk and linen blends, camp-collar shirts, and a palette that leans into bright, confident colour. The appeal for us is the combination. The fabrics feel good, the cut is modern without trying too hard, and it all suits the holiday frame of mind. We try on a lot and settle on a couple of pieces each. The staff are always friendly, helpful, and good for a chat, which turns a pile of shirts into a pleasure rather than a chore.
Afterwards we went hunting for ice cream, and one of the staff pointed us to Yomi on Maunganui Road, a self-serve frozen yoghurt and açaí bar. It’s a little like the ones we know back in Sydney, but with a far broader range. It’s also brand new, with its first store opening at the Mount in December last year, started by a local couple who’d seen the idea working in Australia and wanted it at home. Fresh cut fruit, granola, assorted sweets, and chocolate. And the best part, a chocolate tap. You hold your assortment underneath and the flowing chocolate covers the lot. So much yum. We sat and enjoyed it before drifting back through the shops.
Then we walked out to the beach in front of the mountain to take some photos, and noticed the remnants of landslides on one flank of Mauao. They carry a heavy story. On 22 January this year, after Tauranga’s wettest day on record, in data going back to 1910, a large section of the hillside gave way and came down onto the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, burying cabins and campervan sites and destroying an amenities block. Six people were killed, among them two fifteen-year-olds. That same morning, a separate slip in Welcome Bay Road in nearby Pāpāmoa took two more lives, a grandmother and her ten-year-old grandson. It happened at the height of the summer holidays, when the campground was full of families. A review commissioned by the council and led by a retired High Court judge has since found the tragedy was preventable, noting that the landslide risk to the campground had been flagged by expert after expert over more than two decades. A government inquiry is due to report in December. Standing there months on, with the quiet beach in front of us and those raw scars above, it was a sobering reminder of how quickly a place of holiday calm can change, and of the people who didn’t go home.
We took a slow wander back to the ship. Once aboard we called into the Retreat lounge and found it empty, so we sat and enjoyed the quiet. It didn’t last. As half past three drew near the crowd returned, eager for afternoon tea, and as more and more people came back it got a bit raucous, so we retreated to our cabin for a while.
Before long we were back in the lounge, this time to meet Aldo and Rosina for drinks and dinner. We arrived around half past six and joined them and four other Aussies, chatting for a while before heading to dinner.
A week or so ago I got talking with Umesha, our head waiter. Once he learned about my love of curry, he arranged an Indian-themed night for Mardi and me. The butter chicken that night was superb, and he promised a second feast, so this time we invited Aldo and Rosina along. Tonight’s theme was lamb rogan josh.
The four of us moved from the lounge to Luminae, Umesha as excited as I was. I was quietly hoping the other three, none of them self-confessed curry lovers like me, would enjoy it as much. While we waited we had the kind of lively conversation that makes a night. Travel highs and lows, life’s hits and misses, and a lot of laughter. In many ways Aldo and Rosina are a lot like Mardi and me. Down to earth, fair-minded, keen travellers who call a spade a spade and fight for what’s right.
Dinner arrived and it was delicious. All four of us loved the curry, the naan, and the rice, and Umesha’s smile was as big as ours. He was genuinely proud to have put a dish in front of us that brought real joy. The staff tonight, and right across the cruise, have worked so hard. It can’t be easy, but they are always smiling and always willing to do that little bit extra, and we couldn’t be happier with the service.
We talked the night away, and before we knew it Luminae was deserted except for us. Last to leave again. A great night, and we thanked the staff warmly before heading down to our cabins. Tomorrow is our last port before we turn for home.
But before sleep I’ve got some test cricket to watch. Australia are on the verge of besting South Africa. And they do, shortly after lunch a middle order collapse sees South Africa all out some 214 runs away from victory. A comfortable win for Australia.
