Western Bay of Plenty District: Coast, Art and Food

The Western Bay of Plenty District offers different ways to plan a stay: in Katikati, a walking trail combines haiku and public art with the Uretara Stream; at the northern end of Waihi Beach, the route to Orokawa Bay begins. The Katikati Cuisine Trail adds a culinary focus to these local and nature experiences. This raises a practical question when choosing where to stay: should an art walk in town or a coastal route be the deciding factor? This way, you can plan your trip around the experiences that interest you most.

Katikati: Haiku, Art and Local Producers

The walking trail in Katikati Town Centre leads from Haiku Park along paths where haiku verses are engraved in the rocks and paving. It follows the Uretara Stream, crosses a footbridge to Uretara Landing, then continues along the main road to murals and other artworks in the town centre. The verses are part of the trail itself; the murals offer a different focus. Individual art installations may change.

The Katikati Cuisine Trail offers a second perspective: visitors can meet local artisan food producers and sample their products on site. The producers and offerings may change. By comparison, the walking trail focuses on verses, murals and art around town, while the Cuisine Trail focuses on meeting producers and sampling their products.

Orokawa Bay Walk: Coast, Bush and Protected Landscape

The Orokawa Bay Walk begins at the northern end of Waihi Beach and follows the coastal headlands to Orokawa Bay. It takes about 45 minutes each way. Tides and swell affect access; check conditions before your visit. Along the route, the track passes through dense bush with pōhutukawa, kauri and puriri trees, as well as native nikau palms. Orokawa Bay is part of a 145-hectare scenic reserve. The coastal headlands, bush and reserve give this walk a different character from the art and town-centre trail in Katikati.

If you want to focus on art in the town centre and visits to producers, or on a coastal route, you can use the relevant place name as your initial search focus.

More to explore across the wider Bay of Plenty destination

The wider Bay of Plenty destination offers a broader range of landscape and cultural themes. The region features lakes and geothermal landscapes, as well as remnants of gold mining and timber production. In Tauranga, the wooden library and mission house at The Elms are the oldest known surviving buildings in the Bay of Plenty. Their national significance lies in how they reflect early contact between the Church Missionary Society and Māori in the region.

The region’s walking tracks each have their own points of interest. The Leyland O'Brien Tramline Track follows an old tramway route along the headwaters of the Ngamuwahine River and connects Whakamarama Road with the North–South Track. Check DOC conditions before travelling. The Tarawera Trail begins at the Te Wairoa car park on Tarawera Road; at Hawaiki Bay, it offers lake access and a picnic area with toilets.

At the Rotorua Government Gardens, visitors can still enjoy restorative relaxation at a therapeutic spa in historic spa buildings. Check the current facilities before visiting. Together, these examples show the diversity of themes across the wider Bay of Plenty destination, while Katikati and Waihi Beach offer different focuses for a stay in the Western Bay of Plenty District.

Explore more destinations

Explore more destinations: Waihi Beach, Katikati, Papamoa, Tahawai, Te Puke, Lower Kaimai, Pyes Pa, Whakamarama, Paengaroa, Pukehina, Athenree, Te Puna, Aongatete.

To the wider travel overview: Bay of Plenty.