Christmas is a time for giving and receiving gifts.
In a year when every dollar counts, why not consider supporting local businesses this Christmas? We’ve scoured the Bay to find gifts for all budgets that the whole family will love.
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono $55 from McLeods Booksellers, 1105 Pukuatua St, Rotorua.
This 500-plus page memoir by the lead singer of Irish rock band U2 explores the artist's career and his role as an activist.
It's the story of the life he's lived, the challenges he's faced and the people who have shaped and sustained him.
In his unique voice, Bono takes us from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was 14, to U2′s unlikely journey to become one of the world’s most influential rock bands, to his more than 20 years of activism dedicated to the fight against Aids and extreme poverty. Writing with candour, self-reflection and humour, Bono opens the aperture of his life.
Casio G Shock Tough Solar Smartphone Link (200m), $699 from Te Puke Jewellers, 94 Jellicoe St, or Rotorua Jewellers, 1311 Tutanekai St.
Got a frequent flyer in the family? If so, this is the ultimate traveller's watch.
Connecting to a smartphone app, the watch automatically corrects the time four times a day. When travelling across time zones, you can display the local time with the push of a button as well as use the app to check other time-related data including daylight savings around the world.
Todd Couper calandar 2023, $37 from toddcouper.com
This 2023 calendar features a selection of world-class artworks by one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary Maori artists, Todd Couper, who grew up in Wairoa and lives in Pāpāmoa.
Couper has exhibited throughout New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada, and has commissioned pieces residing in collections all over the globe. As well as Maori carvings (whakairo), he makes incredible works in bronze.
Tickets to L.A.B, general admission $127.50 from loop.flicket.co.nz
The last time L.A.B performed on home turf in the Bay of Plenty was in 2019.
This is going to be the outdoor concert of the summer — a full lighting and visual experience — and it’s happening at Wharepai Domain in Tauranga on December 30.
The band will be joined by The Black Seeds, Katchafire, Summer Thieves, Bailey Wiley, AACACIA, Tipene & DJ Jayrasik.
Return bus tickets are also available from Mount Maunganui and Papamoa.
Note: the event is R18
Noxen Pro poncho, from $79.99 from fivepercentbrands.co.nz
This is the only surf poncho towel on the market with a zip pocket on the front, split into two compartments for sorting your sunnies and keys, and a hidden zip pocket on the inside for your valuables.
More than just for surfers, the towel poncho will keep them warm and dry and makes it easy to get changed in public areas, such as a crowded beach or lake.
Mount Maunganui Art Circles, $299 from reworkit.co.nz
The perfect prezzie for patriotic locals or visitors who want to take a piece of the Bay home with them.
Made by Tauranga copper artist Isaac Weston, the Mount art circle has a steel base with a copper and patina design, measuring 500mm in diameter, and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Alongside wall art, Weston also creates garden sculptures, planters and jewellery.
Pampering at Polynesian Spa, gift vouchers from $50 to $250
Purchase a gift voucher for a spa treatment or a general voucher the lady in your life can use for anything on site, including the Spa Essentials gift store, cafe 88 Ra, and both the public and private pools. Gift vouchers have a two-year expiry date.
Landlines by Raynor Winn, $45 from McLeods Booksellers, 1105 Pukuatua St, Rotorua
The global bestselling author returns with her third memoir — a chronicle of her journey across Great Britain.
With her previous books, The Salt Path and The Wild Silence, having sold more than a million copies, the Guardian says Winn’s fans will enjoy “the same potent blend of big themes” (the climate crisis, extinction, migration, food security, homelessness, terminal illness, friendship) illuminated by her magic storytelling.
In this book, Winn knows her husband Moth’s health is declining; and she knows of only one cure that has worked before.
The Cape Wrath trail is over 200 miles of gruelling terrain through Scotland's remotest mountains and lochs. But the lure of the wilderness and the beguiling beauty of the awaiting glens draw them northwards. Being one with nature saved them in their darkest hour, and their hope is that it can work its magic again.
Alma sarong by Marle, $180 from sistersandco.com or 208 Maunganui Rd
A beautiful sarong in ink blue, by Mount Maunganui-based brand Marle. Marle uses only natural fibres and this sarong is 100 per cent linen. Perfect for layering over swimwear or it can be worn as a skirt on its own.
Australian opal diamond ring in either 9ct yellow gold or rose gold, $950 from Te Puke Jewellers, 94 Jellicoe St, or Rotorua Jewellers, 1311 Tutanekai St
Made in the store, this handcrafted ring is pure elegance and will make Christmas even more magical for the woman in your life.
Mandy Williams 2023 Art Planner, $40 from mandywilliams.co.nz or Bethlehem Paper Plus, and Side Track Cafe
Keep the family organised in 2023 with an art planner from Mount Maunganui-based artist Mandy Williams.
Inspired by 1970s styling and play, the planner is printed on ethically sourced paper and filled with gorgeous works from Williams’ new series Blue Sky Days.
Williams is a contemporary figurative artist and her pieces are found around the globe, as either originals or commissions. These are limited print runs made in New Zealand. The planner is A4 in size and opens out to double A4.
Gotcha! By Clotilde Perrin, $41.99 from McLeods Booksellers, 1105 Pukuatua St, Rotorua
In this original lift-the-flaps, “monstrously” funny fairytale adventure, a child finds hiding places in three famous fairytale houses before turning on their hide-and-seek pursuers — a hairball, a stinkwart and a creeper.
From the creator of international sensation Inside the Villans, this book is a visual feast for children and has a special message of how what we read prepares us for life.
The synopsis reads “Gotcha! a salute to the power of story and how trying things out between the pages of a book prepares us for the world”.
Giant bubbles
Various sizes from 1-5 litres. Priced from $18 to $50
Craniums Tauranga, craniums.co.nz or 95 Devonport Rd, Tauranga
New Zealand-made and locally owned, this is a fun gift for all ages. Blowing giant bubbles is a magical experience and perfect for outside play during summer.
Children’s Novelty helmets, $79 from My Ride Mount Maunganui
Designed by Raskullz and Krash, these helmets are designed to stand out and make children want to wear them, while also being at the forefront of helmet safety technology.
Cooling vents will keep little riders comfortable as they let their imagination ride with them, on their bike, scooter or skateboard. Best suited for those aged 4-7.
Casio Youth Watch (50m), $79 from Te Puke Jewellers, 94 Jellicoe St, or Rotorua Jewellers, 1311 Tutanekai St
A cute, user-friendly first watch for your child, that comes in a variety of colours and is backlit. Get them to learn to tell the time before they head back to school in the new year.
Connetix 62 piece starter pack, $124.95 from thetoybox.co.nz
Connetix tiles are super-popular at the moment and appeal to all ages. They allow children to construct 2D and 3D shapes, using their imagination and creativity to build.
WhanauKai by Naomi Toilalo $55 from McLeods Bookshop, 1105 Pukuatua St, Rotorua
Celebrated baker Naomi Toilalo shares more than 70 of her “tohutao reka” — delicious recipes, all made without fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients.
Toialalo shows you how to make amazing sweet treats to create memories and celebrate life with the people you love. Featuring bread, slices, biscuits, cakes and pastries, Whanaukai is a window into the whakapapa that inspired Naomi’s passion for baking, where feeding people has been part of her life for as long as she can remember.
From her South Otago farming roots to the manaakitanga of Te Araroa marae and raising a household of four energetic daughters, kai brings together friends, family and neighbours. Recipes include ingredients in te reo Māori.
Redwoods illuminated Nightlights family packages, $72 and $99 from treewalk.co.nz
If ever there was a good time to do this walk, it’s a cool and still summer’s evening.
Featuring 34 lanterns floating at 9m-20m above the forest floor, this award-winning eco-tourism walk is 700m long, spans 28 suspension bridges and 27 platforms, and takes about 40 minutes to complete.
Due to the late sunset in summer, Treewalk suggests visitors enjoy a late dinner and spa (essence recommends Secret Spot Hot Tubs), before heading to Nightlights. The last entry is midnight over the peak summer holidays. It's suggested young families come early, and older families and couples after 11pm.
Note: Redwoods Treewalk is equally as stunning during the day as a nature walk.
Pounamu whakairo G T-shirt, from $55 from mrg.digitees.co.nz
Kit the whanau out in matching tees from influential Bay of Plenty multidisciplinary artist Mr G, real name Graham Hoete.
Hoete is known for indigenous storytelling through open-air spray-painted portraits and murals, and Maori carvings (whakairo).
There are a variety of designs and colours in his clothing range, and sizes range from 0-3 months through to 3XL.
Fishing charter, $1000 for a full day (nine hours) for five people or half day (six hours) $900. Rod/tackle hire $25, bait $15 a person. Phone 575 5986 or email: fatboycharters@xtra.co.nz
Have a full house over Christmas and New Year? How about a family fishing trip? Cruise at 20 knots and hook the big one with Fat Boy Charters.
Mount Maunganui skipper Russ Hawkins has 50 years of experience and is an all-round nice guy who will give you plenty of laughs as well as fish.
Russ' trips cover general bottom fishing for all species in the Motiti Island and reef areas. All fish are filleted and packed before you leave the boat, making it an easy day out.
Good Buzz Organic kombucha Mix Pack (328ml, 12 pack), $38 from goodbuzz.nz
It's the drink that's exploded on the Kiwi market in recent years for its health benefits and taste.
Batch-brewed in a purpose-built Tauranga brewery, Good Buzz has a wide range of delicious, fizzy, fruity flavours to tempt the family, and they contain millions of beneficial live cultures and gut-loving microbes to help maintain “ora” (wellbeing).
There are various packs available in their Core Series, and A Series premium collection — including the latest edition of Bay of Plenty Blackberry and Kanuka Leaf.
Rotorua Airport and Air NZ say they are working to address challenges.