A road trip focused on art, culture and heritage places, artists and venues. Travel from Whitianga on the Pacific Coast road journey to Whakatane. Visit artist studios, passionate local collectives where exhibitions and festivals flourish. Katikati is a must-go destination with its street art murals and local artists.
Pacific Coast Discovery Hidden Corners Journey
INTERESTING FACT NOTE AFFILIATE PARTNER STATEMENT
This is a specialised road trip augmenting the Pacific Coast Journey. Whitianga (Coromandel Peninsula) to Gisborne.
The quintessential summer holiday town is also the location for several significant heritage pre-European Maori pa sites. The BOWENTOWN DOMAIN (128 hectares) is the place to start your exploration. There are picnic tables, toilets and water taps available.
Home to Athenree Homestead and heritage railway station. Athenree is located in the Tauranga Harbour, on a small promontory. Athenree is part of a string of seaside settlements with access to sheltered harbours reflecting over 800 years of human occupation.
Athenree is mostly known for the large settler homestead, a charitable trust estate and hot mineral springs. Athenree is a summer holiday destination offering visitors easy access to the Bay of Plenty attractions as well as the option of a convenient hot spring pool to soak in.
Athenree Homestead was built in 1879 and was a working farmhouse for 30 years up to their departure in 1906. The homestead was restored from a delitrict state by the Athenree Homestead Charitable Trust.
The house is open to the public throughout the year at the following times:
A donation of $5 per person helps us to maintain the property.
To check up to date opening hours, see Home | Homestead for details.
The railway station, originally located in the Athenree Gorge has been relocated to the grounds and restored.
The cafe serves high teas and is available for hire for private functions.
The Athenree Charitable Trust holds a number of fairs during the year, notably Christmas and Easter fairs in the grounds of the homestead.
Check their online resource for up to date information for fair dates.
Goldfields Heritage Train Ride at Waihi. A journey from the historic gold mining town of Waihi to Waikino, the gateway to the Karangahake Gorge. Allow about an hour and 15 minutes for a return trip or half an hour for one way.
There are souvenirs and refreshments available at Waikino Station Café. For more information check Heritage Railway, Bike Hire, Hauraki Rail Trail | Waihi, New Zealand.
What to Do and See at the Karangahake Gorge
A drawcard in the Bay of Plenty is the vibrant, diverse arts community of Katikati.
The Western Bay of Plenty Museum is an innovative contemporary museum with a series of interactive experiences telling the story of the district. It is fun and you will enjoy the bright red former fire station building the museum is housed in.
It is likely you might want to linger in Katikati exploring the area and visiting artist’s studios.
Katikati for Arts Katikati’s slogan as ‘NZ Mural Town’ is apt with over 75 street art displays and murals throughout the small towns. Katikati is an impressive powerhouse with four art galleries and has many private studios that you can visit by arrangement.
Wander along the striking Haiku Pathway which weaves alongside the Uretara Stream in the heart of Katikati. This pathway is the only one of its kind outside Japan and features over 40 haiku poems which are carved onto river boulders. Each short poem has been chosen to reflect its location
Katikati Art Group and Gallery supports local artists, regular exhibitions.
The Arts Junction: Art and Visitor Information Centre | Katikati is home to the popular Carlton Gallery which is managed and operated by Katikati Open Air Art. The venue is the hub for the Katikati Festival of the Arts, one of New Zealand’s premier art festivals.
The Arts Junction is also home to the Junction Theatre, a multi purpose theatre that accommodates stage performances, cinema and exhibition space.
There is an excellent gift shop nestled within the exhibition space.
Turama Ahi Pottery | Pottery In Katikati Pottery workshops, classes, exhibitions. The pottery sources their own clay which is available for purchase at Turama Ahi Pottery.
Tauranga offers visitors a potpourri of activities from a rich tapestry of street art, a well regarded art gallery, community art centres to pop into and a chance to visit one of Aotearoa’s premier Maori Meeting House with its exquisite carvings and stories.
Begin the day exploring the Tauranga Art Gallery. The gallery is a veteran public exhibit space and focuses on the region, new, emerging and established artists.
There is a great gift shop as part of the exhibition space.
The Incubator is must go destination to view up and coming contemporary artists and multimedia artists. The Incubator gallery presents a vibrant exhibition programme profiling emerging and established artists that are both nationally and locally recognised.
The individual cubicles of The Incubator Studios provide professional arts practitioners with a platform for a personal space to research and create their individual works in an inclusive, supportive and connected environment.
The place to be is BAYCOURT COMMUNITY & ARTS CENTRE. The centre showcases local performing arts talent.
The theatre, the shows and events entertain, inspire and invite visitors to escape into imaginative worlds.
Tauranga Historical Society. The Society established a museum in Tauranga in the 1960’s and supported the Historic Village in the 1970’s. Today the Tauranga Historical Society’s vision is the preservation, interpretation and promotion of historical and cultural heritage of the Western Bay of Plenty for the people of the region and beyond. The objectives are:
Whakatane Society of Arts and Crafts
The Art House is used seven days a week and comprises several groups working in various mediums. It was formed in 1960, as the “Form & Colour Group” by a group of painters and potters who were interested in promoting art & craft in the community. There are a number of regular exhibitions throughout the year.
Whakatane Museum and Arts is a must go destination for visitors interested in local new and emerging artists in Whakatane.
An active group of collectors, artists and supporters. There are regular exhibitions throughout the year.
4 Art Sake dealer, marketing collectables, jewellery, modern art by new and emerging local artists.
The journey finishes in Whakatane with options to continue exploring Gisborne and the East Cape, check Pacific Coast road trip East Cape for details.
For details of the museums in the Bay of Plenty check Tauranga guide to activities & things to do.
BEST BITS TRAVEL GUIDE
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