Tauranga's Attractions as a Holiday Resort

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11933, 27 January 1936, Page 4

Tauranga' s Attractions as a Holiday Resort

SHOWING POPULARITY ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATED

v T»>W\ WITH an HISTORICAL PAST AND BRIGHT PROSPECTS

|i ij probably correct to nay that • luring *Jvi last decade or two no inv. ti in the Dominion has attracted ,’nc!'. favourable attention as Tau-

popuiation of a comparatively small borough, and at that time, taking the total area of those counties there ( was only about three souls to the j square mile. j Even to-day, with the great growth that has taken place, there is ample | room for many more settlers. !. To-day, from the 1936 Year Book : just to hand, we find the position to be as under: Estimated at Ist April, 1935 Counties (including interior Townships and Boroughs) Tauranga 13,770 Whakatane 8,130 Opotiki 5,810 27,710 (The same Boroughs as in the previous comparison) Napier 16,550 Palmerston North .. 22,250 Timaru 17,750 Wanganui 24,850 Invercargill 22,570 This shows forcibly the substantial advance that has been made, and one cannot escape the feeling that the development of the town and district has but commenced. One might write for hours of the attractions and advantages that Taurauga offers not only to the casual visitors, but also to those in search of a permanent home, but no word picture can accurately convey the undoubted charm the town possesses. Naturally it has its rainy days—all 100 evident lately when least wanted or expected—and its cold days; its frosty days and windy days, but despite these natural variations there still remains that genial climate and pleasant surroundings that set Tauronga apart as the Dominion’s most attractive spot. That to some may seem an exaggeration, but to those who know, whether from long or short experience, there is that indefinable charm about the place that is inescapable. To some the bustle and attractions of city life are irresistible, but to those who prefer less strenuous days and seek to escape the allurements of the larger centres there is certainly no more desirable town In which to dwell than Tauranga. It has all the amenities that any self-respecting seaside town should have —salt water baths excepted—and in some respects mote than the average. From every point of view Tauranga justifies all the praise its citizens can give it, and in I writing to their friends they can with ! confidence invite them to come, and ( satisfy themselves that all that has 1 been said and written of it is true!

What may bo deemed the first de-i.-i miiii.d attempt to advertise the

t.ivn and district more extensively (bcu bad been done up to that date v.ao by llie Special reace Issue of the Day of Plenty Times on Bth August. .IP IP, Copies of this issue were distributed to loca! bodies. Chambers of Comm-,-ee and prominent citizens throughout the Dominion, and by this m-i'tv! much publicity was gained. The issue was genereously supported by local bodies and business people and it was a prior condition that any profit arising from it would be handed over to the Chamber of Commerce lo form the nucleus of an advertising fund. As a result £IOO was handed over and this sum was

subsequently judiciously spent by the Chamber in further useful advertising. In 102! a more ambitious attempt was made by means of a •special issue of the Bay of Plenty *Tlmes, coincident with the opening of the railway, to make known the attractions of the district. This issue contained the ‘‘Story of Gate Pa, written specially for tbe occasion by Captain Mair, the story bein.g,subsequently published in booklet form, copies of which •ire still available from the Times Office and local stationers. The Times” lias thus tak-

en a prominent pari in initiating suc-

cessivo advertising campaigns, and with the co-operation of local bodies and business'people very useful publicity work has been done, the result of which has certainly made itself evident during the past few years. When the first effort was made in 10It) the population of the town was estimated at about 1800, and of the whole county including all interior townships and boroughs, at only 5 6 32. The figures then quoted were as ■follows: C'ountics (Including Interior Townships and Boroughs) Tauraugii 5032 Wbakatane 385 1 Opotlki " 3854 13,140 Boroughs Napier 13,704 Palmerston North .. 13,820 Tlmaru , 13,238 Wangauu.i 14,380 Invercargill 14,154 Those figures were given to show t hat the vast area embraced within the three ’counties of Tauranga, Wbakatane, and Opotiki, had only a

This view, taken from near the Tauranga end of the railway bridge, is typical of the many pretty “peeps” ■ on the waterfront.