This story was prepared by Bay Hobby Supplies and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.

Ignite your imagination through creativity and the fun of hobbies.

Forget the world of digital fantasy. Back to the future is now – turning make-believe into reality and resurrecting childhood memories of that first toy truck in the Christmas stocking. Maybe it was a train set – a parent’s plan to rekindle their own childhood memory. Perhaps it was a scale model you would build from scratch – anything from a classic car to a fighter plane or warship. Whatever your passion, whatever your creative mindset, Tauranga’s Bay Hobby Supplies is like visiting Santa’s toyshop any time of the year.

Flashing its brilliant calling card on iconic window images – wolf whistling might be deemed a thing of the past – but the American Chevy sure draws breath as to what’s inside. More than 30 years after opening its doors in Tauranga’s main drag in Greerton – the scale of this store’s inventory is impressive. It’s not so much what Bay Hobbies does have on its shelves; it’s a case of what doesn’t it have.

Name a brand, pick a genre – odds on, you’ll probably find it here. Certainly, the biggest range of its kind in Tauranga, Bay Hobby Supplies is in the top five in New Zealand – the go-to store for hobbyists and modellers throughout the country.

Kicking 2025 off after a successful Christmas spree by those in the know; word is spreading and newbies are discovering Bay Hobbies’ extraordinary miniature world – a playground of creativity and fun. What’s your go-to? Diecast collector models? Take your pick! Remote controls? How big do you want? Train sets? The sky’s the limit; from developing a village, the countryside around it and all the folk within. Tractors to trucks, plants to planes, gems to giants, historical to military – A to Z doesn’t begin to cover what you’ll find here. Name your favourite model – be it wheels or wings – and Bay Hobbies will have it; or source it.

Buy them complete, buy them in kitset and everything in between – from Cobi building blocks and balsa supplies to component parts; rock moulds to flora and fauna; paint, tools and accessories for the finishing touches – Bay Hobbies has it all. Be it as simple as a yo-yo or kite; to intricate sets for masterpiece models – Bay Hobbies opens up a whole new world of creativity and collecting. Life in miniature on a giant-size scale – no matter your age, no matter your gender, or where you live.

You’ll find Bay Hobbies at Cambridge’s annual Armistice military show each year, along with trade and railway shows, plus the odd model show in the North Island. The best way to start, however, is now – checking their website. What you see covers pretty much everything you’ll find instore. Emails welcome and questions answered; online purchases available and sent throughout the country.

Overseas is a future possibility. For now, this world in miniature is a giant-sized magnet that will hook your imagination. Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein said creativity is intelligence having fun. He would have had a blast at Bay Hobbies.

For more information visit bayhobbies.co.nz