# Ports of Tauranga



## spongebob

Ports of Tauranga

Tauranga never featured on the list of NZ ports visited by the host of Conference Lines Home boats during the earlier post war period as that port was limited to the local fishing fleet and to small coastal ships. The first piles for larger berths were driven in 1953 and the Union Co’s MV Korowai was the first to load out.
1957 saw the first log shipment to Japan, a measly 150 tons, but by 1972 the log trade and frozen export trade was booming with the Port Caroline, then the world’s largest refrigerated cargo liner, visiting for the first time. 
The Kaimai tunnel through the dividing range of the same name gave Tauranga a direct rail link to the Waikato dairying districts and to Rotorua’s vast forestry region so from then the Port has never looked back as it grew to now be the largest export port in NZ by far. Being a public company they are not fettered by the political restraints against good decision making that hampers the likes of Auckland, Wellington or Lyttelton and they go from strength to strength with Maersk and the like nominating Tauranga their preferred port.
Drive out in a car in any direction from Tauranga and you will be confronted with large numbers of truck and trailer log carrying units that dominate the highways and then drive around the harbour’s Mount Maunganui area to see the huge acreages of log piles waiting to be shipped to China, South Korea and Japan. It is said that the Asian demand will increase due to Russia curtailing log exports in favour of local consumption.
Apparently the Japanese quake and tsunami has increased demand for raw Pinus logs two fold.
Logs are now our third largest export but it seems wasteful and un enterprising that we should be shipping out barely de-barked logs instead of finished timber lines cut, surfaced and conditioned to the end use requirements which would reduce shipping costs hugely and provide a greater range of employment in areas that need it.
Some times we can’t see the wood for the trees

Bob


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## trotterdotpom

It was a sad day when the time alongside in Mt Maunganui went from 2 weeks to 2 days! They have to spoil everything, haven't they?

John T


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## barrinoz

I may be mis-interpreting you, Bob, but The Lyttelton Port Company was listed on the NZ stock exchange in 1996. It is now affectionately (not) known as Stalag 13.
From memory the favourite drinking hole in Tauranga was The Anchor.
barrinoz.


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## Pat McCardle

barrinoz said:


> I may be mis-interpreting you, Bob, but The Lyttelton Port Company was listed on the NZ stock exchange in 1996. It is now affectionately (not) known as Stalag 13.
> From memory the favourite drinking hole in Tauranga was The Anchor.
> barrinoz.


What was the name of the bar outside the gates at the Mount?


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## holland25

Thanks for that Bob. I went there this year on a cruise and was surprised at the size of the port. My previous trip to NZ had been in 1957 and I had never heard of Tauranga. Napier was still recognisable.


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## spongebob

Yes Holland25 Tauranga has become a popular cruise ship port of call with 54 ships scheduled to visit during the 2010/2011 season. Its handiness to Rotorua thermal region and even lake Taupo makes it a convenient stop over.
I have been over to the Mount when some of these big Cruisers are berthed and they seem bigger that the town itself.
I know no less than three Englishmen that visited here on a criuse ship and decided to come back, One of them is my landlord, I am minding his water edge house while he is doing his summer back in Staffordshire.

Bob


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## holland25

We didnt go to Rotorua but had a local tour which we enjoyed. The guide took us to an abandoned hydro power station which was in a deep pool. He also introduced my wife to Manuka honey, which she swears by,bit pricey though.


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## trotterdotpom

Pat McCardle said:


> What was the name of the bar outside the gates at the Mount?


Pretty sure that was the Anchor, Pat. You had as good a chance of coming out of the window as ouit of the door!

Apart from that, hard to beat the Mount for hospitality.

John T


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## spongebob

I remember the Anchor from road visits to the Mount in the 70's but with the extent of building expansion that has one on it might have been moved or demolished.
I an going over there tomorrow to Bunnings Super Store so I will take a look.

Bob


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## vix

spongebob said:


> Ports of Tauranga
> 
> Tauranga never featured on the list of NZ ports visited by the host of Conference Lines Home boats during the earlier post war period as that port was limited to the local fishing fleet and to small coastal ships. The first piles for larger berths were driven in 1953 and the Union Co’s MV Korowai was the first to load out.
> 1957 saw the first log shipment to Japan, a measly 150 tons, but by 1972 the log trade and frozen export trade was booming with the Port Caroline, then the world’s largest refrigerated cargo liner, visiting for the first time.
> The Kaimai tunnel through the dividing range of the same name gave Tauranga a direct rail link to the Waikato dairying districts and to Rotorua’s vast forestry region so from then the Port has never looked back as it grew to now be the largest export port in NZ by far. Being a public company they are not fettered by the political restraints against good decision making that hampers the likes of Auckland, Wellington or Lyttelton and they go from strength to strength with Maersk and the like nominating Tauranga their preferred port.
> Drive out in a car in any direction from Tauranga and you will be confronted with large numbers of truck and trailer log carrying units that dominate the highways and then drive around the harbour’s Mount Maunganui area to see the huge acreages of log piles waiting to be shipped to China, South Korea and Japan. It is said that the Asian demand will increase due to Russia curtailing log exports in favour of local consumption.
> Apparently the Japanese quake and tsunami has increased demand for raw Pinus logs two fold.
> Logs are now our third largest export but it seems wasteful and un enterprising that we should be shipping out barely de-barked logs instead of finished timber lines cut, surfaced and conditioned to the end use requirements which would reduce shipping costs hugely and provide a greater range of employment in areas that need it.
> Some times we can’t see the wood for the trees
> 
> Bob


I went to Mt Maunganui on the Cape York, Feb/March 1960. They told us we were the largest ship to enter [up till then] and we were taking the first cargo of timber from the Ports of Tauranga...we dressed ship for the occasion. Lovely port, then. I was utterly dismayed when I went back in 1974...the lovely inner beach at the Mount wasn't even a shadow of its former self. And there were signs everywhere 'Beware of Ammonia' very sad to remember the lovely beach and beautiful people...alas...no more. Vix


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## stillwaters

'I was a regular patron of the 'Anchor Inn ' and visited many times while at sea in the mid to late 50's. In our day we would go up to the Tauranga wharf, load half a load and go over to the Mount to top up with newsprint for Aussie, the wharf at the Mount was only bigger enough to take one vessel at a time.How times have changed, even caught a ferry over to Tauranga from the Mount to go to the movies. An older sea dog I


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## stillwaters

Sorry to carry on, this guy, probably in his 60's pointed out to me the amount of land he owned at the Mount from just passed the 'Top Hat" Restaurant ? to as far as the eye could see, I often wonder what he sold it for .


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## spongebob

The port of Tauranga has gone from strength to strength over the last year or two to become the dominant port for NZ.
The private management set up with the Tauranga City council as a minority partner has proved to be a very acceptable combination and to every party's benefit.
A key point to their success was the cordial negotiation with the local Maori Iwi to agree on a substantial extent of harbour dredging in a way protective of marine life and that has made the port friendly to a wider range of overseas shipping.
The port can now accept all but the very biggest box boats and caters for all the giant cruise liners with about 135 visits planed for our coming summer season.
The port position is ideal for tourists wanting to day trip to the thermal areas of Rotorua and Taupo and to the enduring set of Hobbiton which seems to attract more and more tourists as time goes on.
The latest stir of the pot suggests that Auckland city is no longer viable due to road congestion and that the upgrading of the rail service could well see Tauranga serving the whole upper North Island in the future..
The downside for us locals is the ever increasing number of logging trucks carrying logs to the port and clogging the highways! 

Bob


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## tugger

Hi Bob,
I used to be in and out of Tauranga regular in the late 50s early 60s, As Stillwaters said, Tauranga half load them the Mount to top up, I have some pics somewhere of loading there on the Kurow and the Waipori among others. A man was killed when the lunch whistle went and they had a load of timber half way down, they raced the winches and the load hit a billet on the floor of the hold and it spun across the hold hit him as he was climbing the ladder.
Any chance that you could put a pic of the modern Tauranga on here?
Cheers Tugger


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## spongebob

Tigger, Google the ports of Tauranga to see several photo shots and a gpdaily changing web cam of the ships in port. Pretty quiet today.

Bob


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## Don Meehan

Hi Bob,
I'm a retired shipping agent (last 6 years at the Mount). Now working as a security (casual) for Port of Tauranga. Worked last night in the Customer Service Centre (harbour control) and we had 11 shipping movements between 1900 and 0500. It was full on....cheers Don


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## tugger

Thanks Spongebob, I never think of Google, will have to pick my game up.
tugger


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## spongebob

The latest local news re ports in NZ is the general admission that a busy port cannot be sustained right in the heart of a rapidly growing commercial city and that this Auckland port will need replacing.
On top of this the NZ Defence Department is musing over the longer term existence of the Naval Dockyard on its present Devonport site and alternatives like Dunedin and Picton are being mentioned as likely replacements due to future Naval vessels being most likely of strengthened hull design suitable for the role of protection of the Southern Ocean toward Antartica More than the Pacific regions . 
Picton is also favoured due to its close proximity to Woodburn Airforce station that could be developed as a base for Hercules etc that serve McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.
No more big town centred bases for the boys in both shades of blue with the pubs, girls etc just a hop step and jump away but with Picton and Woodburn central to the Marlborough wine growing region we may see them getting into the grip of the grape.
The real estate pariahs are already sizing up the Devonport base site as an upmarket waterfront development of all that glitters .
When I served my time at the Dockyard they had two light cruisers, seven Loch class frigates , four Bathurst class sweepers , two Bird class sweepers and a host of Fairmiles and HD launches , a dry dock, machine shop , and all the attendant facilities plus 1200 trade staff that could cope with all.
Now the shrunken collection of half a dozen assorted craft are serviced by a private contractor and the 'big' work like gas turbines are serviced by our national airline workshops .
Time are changing

Bob


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## Pat McCardle

We, the wife and me, had 2 nights in Tauranga and crossed the bridge for 5 nights at The Mount in March 2017, 38 years since I was last there and an incredible change. Long gone are all the Bach's at the Mount and The Anchor is now an Irish themed Bar. Plenty of cruise ships on the wharf where the cargo ships used to berth, outside The Anchor and the town of Mount Maunganui now a haven for the passenger trade aka 'Livestock Carriers' with all the cafes and bars. We hope to return next February to carry on the Tiki Tour,


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## pdwalton156

trotterdotpom said:


> Pretty sure that was the Anchor, Pat. You had as good a chance of coming out of the window as ouit of the door!
> 
> Apart from that, hard to beat the Mount for hospitality.
> 
> John T


Where was the Hiberian bar I thought that was quite close. However just thinking was that the other side of the mount facing the beach ?


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## P.Arnold

Went to a pub, the name escapes me, but there was a sign at the door "Management are not responsible for cut feet".
At kicking out time the barman would don a pair of ear defenders and switch up the amp, with microphone. The feedback was quite an incentive to exit the place.


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