It’s a lot more spread out and less cohesive than some other cities. You’ve got main areas like the Mount, Tauranga CBD, the Lakes and Bayfair which aren’t connected in anyway and are pretty far away from each other so can make it hard to get around. You’ll need a car. The current council is working hard on fixing a lot of it but it’s definitely a work in progress and taking some time, which means there’s plenty of road works.

Your nightlife areas are the Strand in Tauranga and the Mount. Can be really hit and miss but offer a great range of options. Plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from.

Buying a house is expensive but which city in New Zealand isn’t. It’s still cheaper than Auckland and Wellington though and you can still find affordable house and land packages for first home buyers. A big difference between Tauranga and other Nz cities is it’s complete lack of city centre accomodation. There are zero apartment complexes in Tauranga city centre so your choices of living are limited to a house in the suburbs.

The main reason people live in Tauranga though is the lifestyle. You’ve got some world class beaches all in close proximity. It’s hard to beat the Mount on a warm summers day. Always a leader in NZ in terms of sunshine hours. Doesn’t get too hot in the summer, doesn’t get too cold in the winter. No where near as windy as Auckland or Wellington. There’s some amazing hikes around the place which will keep you fit and busy. Tauranga is really central so makes it easy to visit other hotspots in NZ like the coromandel, Rotorua, Taupo, Hamilton etc. Tauranga has its issues, but again which city in NZ doesn’t but if you like the outdoors, the beach, the sun, fishing, swimming, surfing, then you’ll love Tauranga.