Otumoetai is a spread-out Tauranga suburb, taking in the Pillans Point, Cherrywood, Bureta, Brookfield and Bellevue areas. It's popular with both young families and older, retired folk.
Prior to the 1950s, the Otumoetai peninsula was largely orchards and farms, before an intensive couple of decades of house-building in the 60s and 70s saw the area transformed. Today, there is no new land left for building on, although some new apartments have appeared in the past few years.
Within Otumoetai, Cherrywood and Bureta are on the flat, making them popular with older residents. Families are drawn to the wider Otumoetai area for its schools, parks, harbour walkways and proximity to the city. Sue Hooper from Harcourts Cherrywood says the entire area is seen as established and desirable, with Bellevue and Brookfield the most accessibly priced parts of the neighbourhood. "It's just a relaxed, good location," she says.
The main shopping area is at Cherrywood, where Sue says there's a Four Square grocer, a couple of banks, "a fantastic butcher" and restaurant RSVP of Cherrywood. Other eateries at Cherrywood include the Cherrywood Sunshine Fast Food outlet, while the Bureta Park Motor Inn is known for its three-course roast buffet meals. If it's just a drink you're after, your choice includes Cherrywood Arms at 44 Cherrywood Dr and Cruzaz Bar & Gaming at 265 Otumoetai Rd. There are smaller shopping areas at Bureta and central Otumoetai.
Alison Thompson from Eves Realty says Otumoetai is so central, "there are no traffic hassles". She makes special mention of the great gift shop at the Cherrywood shops, Mainly Gifts.
