You're shocked? We who live in beautiful Tauranga are equally shocked. Tauranga used to be a thriving city centre, but thanks to council enforcement of parking meters and reduced parking it has contributed to people shopping elsewhere. It's also extremely difficult for workers in the city centre to find parking, although we have parking buildings the cost is prohibitive for many to use, so they park miles from work and walk. Council is trying to make it a night-life centre, hence all the food places. They really have 'missed the boat'.

I've lived in Tauranga literally my whole life. The council has slowly destroyed the city centre. Paying for parking made people stay away, they have had multiple iterations of parking meters that have gotten worse and worse, and now there are so few of them, you have to walk 50 meters to pay for parking, and you WILL get a ticket for staying over the time limit as they seem to employ a lot of parking wardens. They have totally destroyed small businesses on the start of Cameron road, there is a dairy, cafe, laundromat, and hair dresser that have not a single parking spot, totally killing their businesses, it's a discrace. Cameron road a a total abortion, they have removed viral lanes causing massive congestion, them say they want to bring in congestion tax for congestion they have caused.

I was born in Tauranga. It was once an awesome place, but the place has been turned into the largest retirement home in the country. It's CBD is a dessert ed dump. We have a non existent counci, which has also contributed the place being deserted. !!!

Council gave their employees electric bikes paid for by the ratepayers whilst reintroducing parking charges for the rest of us. The Council office is in the centre with own free car parking. That is the place to look if you want to understand why Tauranga is a failing city. Massive potential destroyed by an incompetent Council.

The reason it might be seen as a ghost town is most likely because the council in their wisdom decided to install parking meters. That's what happens when you get towns that are managed by morons.

Thanks for this. I'm here in Tauranga and my Mrs says the same thing every time we go to town. Unelected local officials destroying the city.

Downtown Tauranga is suffering from "Road cone madness" because of poor planning by the local govt. Most of the buildings that are empty are a result of "NZ Earthquake Building Codes" and it was easier to demolish and build a new building than to rebuild the old building up to code. Local people avoid this area like the plague because there is limited parking and the place is only boutiques, bars and eateries. There is over 30 decent shopping centres scattered all over Tauranga so why would you cram into downtown [risking parking fines etc] when you can go to a major shopping centre on the outskirts or just 200 metres from the beach at "The Mount" The local govt needs a way to attract people back to the centre ,not scare them away

Tauranga is my home town. When I left there 5 years ago there were empty buildings in the CBD and it was home to the homeless. The then Council said in 5 yrs time it will be buzzing - Farmers building, apartments, Polytech all bringing people in to the city. Now I watch your video and - nothing to see here. Even more empty shops and nothing like the Council envisaged. Sad to see this, Tauranga used to have a wonderful busy CBD.

Bro the central city was the place to go it was busy foot traffic everywhere…. Then the stupid City Council killed it by taking away car parks and then giving the big tick to developers to build big shopping malls out in the suburbs ie BayFare / The Crossing / Papamoa etc , no one goes into the city is just a pain in the arse it’s sad really

youre a legend for documenting all of NZ keep it up fams!

Lol always cracks me up how British people call the ground the floor! 😂

Anyone noticed that no NZ political party or council is FIT FOR PURPOSE these days? NZ short of houses? Transform Tauranga shops?

So you are now mentioned in NZ newspaper reports (11/11/2023 STUFF NZ) = " KZfaqr and TikToker, Curls, a Brit who vlogs about places he visits, said the amount of empty buildings in Tauranga was distressing, and it made him feel sad."

Take some urban sprawl. Add a heap of parking minimums. A dash of strip mall and add large serving of big box retail. Finish with a sprinkle of lifestyle blocks. You now have the s-hole above, traffic jams, unaffordable rates and economic disaster. This is the story of urban development in New Zealand.

Sadly there are many New Zealand cities or towns that are full of empty shops. Our main Street has quite a few empty shops some of which have been built and never used.

I grew up in Tauranga in the 80s and 90s. Was a great place to grow up. The downtown you walked through was constantly busy - anytime we wanted anything other than groceries we'd head downtown to find and get. Shortly after I left in 95, it changed massively and hasn't been the same since. I visited in 2000 and it was already a different place. More visits in the intervening decades has always just been more of the same, the downtown slowly strangled to death via an inability to access and more attractive alternatives. Heading there soon (though, more the mount) and I expect to be sad for the city again.

Not unlike most towns in New Zealand. Main streets packed with Dollar saves, Takeaway shops, hairdressers....rinse and repeat. So little of interest on offer. The real kicker is the sheer audacity that parking is metered and costs you to stop and park. They call arcades "malls" and you'll find most people in the supermarkets wandering about in their pyjamas in the middle of the day. For a completely feral NZ experience, you should sample Levin. Lol

Problem with the CBD is access. There is an exisiting rail network but only allowed to use for freight trains, not passenger. The mind boggles at local and district council failure here.

Streets were rather empty too. All those restaurants you passed were empty both inside and out (no customers), hardly any pedestrians on those beautiful paths and roads as you walked around too. No one on the beach front. Ghost town is an accurate description sadly.

20 years ago this place was beaming with activity with a city in all its glory... I dont know if people have opted for the outskirts or there is no more motivation to be downtown, council failure is key here...

I'm a Kiwi and I am shocked. Not surprisingly, councils are doing this all over the country. Look at the debacle in Auckland'

Employment opportunities are quite sparse, increasingly casualised workforce, agency work mainly.More a holiday town than a permanent home base.

Tauranga was, and still is, a much liked retirement City but unfortunately run by a Council who seem to see it as something different. They need to bring back street parking, older people who were the mainstay of the daytime business district cannot walk miles from parking to do their shopping.

A big failure of the Tauranga CBD in recent years was the 'Harington Street Public Carpark and Transport Hub' construction project. After $19 million had been spent on the budgeted $29 million dollar project flaws were noted by construction workers. Work halted and the site could not be remedied, it was going to cost $9million to demolish the flawed building, the Council sold the site/ uncompleted building to a contractor for $1. The end result is 550 planned inner city car parking spaces have never eventuated and a central sheltered location for local bus passenger to depart from and arrive at does not exist. My own opinion after C-19, people who can afford their own vehicle & parking are still reluctant to travel on public transport such as buses unless there is no other option. Everytime I have travelled on a bus in Tauranga in recent years it is common to have at least one or more people with a cough or sneeze etc. Cameron Road's big dig started in April 2021 and the workers are still going. Cameron Road water pipes were around a 100 or more years old before their present ongoing replacement. In years ahead Tauranga is likely to be increasingly surveilled society, it is easy to imagine a CCTV camera on every street light etc, multiple cameras at traffic intersections etc. There was free on street parking in cbd Tauranga from mid-2020 to December, 2022. The free parking did help the central city a bit. The Commissioners' vanity project 'The Civic Precinct' has an initial cost of $306million dollars.

Lived in Tauranga for 16 years, and have seen a dramatic decline. Yes it's pretty, and the shoreline is gorgeous. But the Council here have made it almost impossible through their lack of foresight and inherent greed, for people to shop, eat and work here. It's in the too hard/too expensive basket for most people. Rents are ridiculously high for businesses, and they are no longer getting the foot traffic they once did. Latest thing is - the council are taking away 147 car parking spaces from the Strand - We avoid going into Tauranga now, and will always choose the out of town shopping precincts with free parking and great choice of shops to spend our hard earned money - Very sad really!

You talk to anyone, even foreigners. They'll all say that Tauranga sucks. It seems like the council is purposely trying to destroy this city. A super greedy council with the planning skills of a 2 year old. Breaking everything they touch and demanding an arm and a leg for their service.

such a depressing place to live 😭 hoping to move away soon

From the outside, government corruption in NZ seems like a conspiracy theory but the longer you stay here, the more you'll realise this is exactly why these small towns have collapsed.

What an outstanding job these four Unelected Commission chair Anne Tolley, along with fellow commissioners Stephen Selwood, Shadrach Rolleston and Bill Wasley, were given the council’s governance responsibilities. According to the council’s remuneration figures, Tolley was paid $358,200 for 200 days work between February 2021 and February 2022. Selwood earned $261,000 for 174 days, Rolleston worked 174.5 days and was paid $261,750 and Wasley earned $275,250 for 183.5 days work. And this is what you end up with....

Great video mate-Always look forward to the adventures you go on-it’s great what you do showing the places around NZ-Thanks again-can’t wait for the next instalment mate 🌏oh I’d love on done on Thames 👍Thanks 👀

This could be part of the problem: "The Tauranga City is the most expensive district within the Bay of Plenty Region, with properties reaching a median price of $875,000 in September 2023."

Tauranga....already had its day of 'potential'...It's gone, and will not return....!!! Due to a greedy, Tauranga Council, businesses have, and are continuing to leave the City centre. Tauranga now, gearing up...to becoming a "15 minute city". Agenda 2030 in full force.😢

Strategically avoids showing the growing homeless problem in NZ from 7:56

I grew up in rural towns in New Zealand I was told that empty shops was the first sign of a shrinking economy, this nothing new in this country it’s been going on for years.

Retail is going through a major transformation. The internet, pandemic and demographic change that has decimated Main Street retail. Not just in Tauranga, but worldwide

I haven't been to Tauranga for years. I think it was back in the mid 1970s. I can remember the heat. It was Summer In those days i wore flared denims and my hair was long. I remember being all sweaty. Tauranga is a nice place.

We're still here... most of us go to nearby malls or shopping centers so we don't get screwed by the roadworks and parking fees!

Went there for a 2 day visit from Northland a few months back. Saw the pictures, looked AMAZING! But walked exactly where you were by the pub, and saw a bunch of teenagers dressed up like gangsters, literally bullying and teasing a homeless man, and taking pictures of it while they were doing it. I sat down at the pub with family from overseas, and that same group of 14yo's walked around kicking bins, business signs and just generally being taunting towards anyone looking their way. 1st time in my life that I was uncomfortable with my surroundings in NZ. Needless to say my family too. I phoned the cops as many around me did and they showed up 80min later when these degenerates left. I cancelled my BnB and went on to Rotorua. I cant be asked to go visit Tauranga again. Sad really. Was expecting so much more from this picturesque town.

I'm from Mt Manganui. I left the Tauranga area 23 years ago. When I go back, I wonder what happened to a good city and can only believe that the local council ruined the place through their idiotic Town planning. And just how many years has the roadworks been blocking up Cameron Road? The place just sucks.

After leaving Tauranga years ago, it’s crazy that going back yearly or so that the city street has been empty and for lease every time!

Curl’s you’re the best ambassador for New Zealand tourism, thank you!

A bit sad seeing all those empty shops

What day were you there? A weekday? 15:04 "Wednesday to Friday" - seems so. And what time? Obviously not a meal time. But that is one empty place. Also, stayed in Tauranga in the mid70s, and I never had the inclination to go back. Also, you glossed over the person sleeping on a bench at 15:04 - if you're going to put the place to the test, you have to report the results. One of the things to remember is that Tauranga is known as a conservative retirement city - it's not a bustling place, however much it wants to be. Those closed shops are the result of actual performance not meeting the ambitious business plan that said "if we build it, they will come".

I was in Tauranga a few months back and noticed all the empty shops in the downtown area where he is. It's pretty sad for sure and it's also affecting the foot traffic too I reckon. Therefore I can see even more empty shops in the near future. There was also a ton of construction work going on as well in the whole of BOP too. Lots of road works along and around Cameron road area out to Judea. I heard from locals that during lockdown people wouldn't head into town but would just shop where they lived. I assume that is or was the impetus for the empty shops. But in saying that the Bayview plaza shopping mall in Mount Maunganui was dead also. So I am thinking that the cost of living crisis is really biting in. Meaning that Temu has probably done well in this town lately.

My mum moved there in 2011 and the place was alive and amazing... she moved out in 2021 and by then the place had lost all it's charm. It had a great photography store... gone.. I'd move there but as you indicated many places so empty now.Bobby's is still the best ever... and there is a real issue with parking.Buses in Tauranga make the need for a car really important but the council has,like auckland, made it cost prohibitive for many. Unlike Auckland, Tauranga just doesnt have economies of scale. Added to that Tauriko shopping mall etc and the central part of town is like a ghost town now

What is happening to NZ .. I really wonder 🤔

Tauranga , isn't the only town or city in NZ, with empty shops , j and offices that are empty and going to waste . Wellington , both Lower & Upper Hutt , and up the coast as far as Waikanae , there's empty shops and increasing graffiti . You're fortunate you didn't meet some of the panhandlers-grifters on the streets of the twins you've visited . I hope you're enjoying your visits to NZ's cities .

Yeah. It's sad. It's beautiful city. But politics ruin NZ at a fast rate. 😢

The strangest thing is that during covid of all things, after the library was torn down they have a temporary food and hangout section which made Tauranga center lively for a few months. Despite so much roadworks, renovations and massive building projects in ye CBD the place only ends up getting more and more desolate

To be honest I’ve been living here for the past 7 years and over time the city life has just died. don’t get me wrong I love the city and it’s beauty but it’s changed so much since I moved here in 2016

I don’t know if you realise this but in New Zealand many people have decided to keep on working from home as it is better to do this than go out to work and pay exorbitant prices for your fuel

I grew up in the country outside of Tauranga it was a busy place 5 years ago when I was still there. I hope you have time to visit Mt Maunganui the view from the top is well worth the climb you can see the whole Bay of Plenty from up there.

This place used to be busy 24-7, I guess inner city shopping and working is gone of the past

There is plenty of people , just not in town. They are at the malls, Bayfair, The lakes, Bethlehem or down town the mount!

I’ve been in NZ 3 weeks now, went from Auckland down to Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo and now Wellington. It does remain my favourite place I’ve visited but if I was looking to settle down to work, Auckland or Wellington for sure. Tauranga is cool but doesn’t have that permanent attraction feel to it.

The BS that is Cameron Rd, road works aside, is a disgrace! The widening of footpath "cycle" lanes, have destroyed over 30 small businesses! The removal of carparks, in and around these businesses, is a disgrace! 🤬

As a kiwi I would have to say the biggest problem facing this country now are the politicians and the unelected goons that surround them.

Thanks for uploading this. I haven't been to Tauranga in years, nice to see it again

The shop rents are so high its near impossible for retail shops to stay long. We dont have the same foot traffic that the UK does for volume of sales for retailers to have a chance survive long term.

Hi Curls I used to love Tauranga I’m so sad to see the empty shops too. Council you stuffed up big time

I lived in Tauranga, it always had issues with having an elderly retired population but very few jobs... it was known as $10 an hour Tauranga (very low pay by NZ standards). I left there over a decade ago but the rot was already showing and it is a shame as it is a really nice coastal town

Down town Tauranga just keeps getting worse. It's nothing compared to what it once was.

Er top tip Instead of getting ripped For your favourite condiments Buy small bottles from your local supermarket Keep them in a sandwich bag (Sealed) Try not to get too hot I always have my favourite sauce and it costs around 5c a go

Most people go to the malls and shopping centres on the outskirts of Tauranga… The Crossing is great.

Awesome! Thank you! Are you planning to do Kerikeri overview in the same manner? It would be lovely to watch.

They question to ask is why so many empty shops... the answer is likely endlessly hiked leases, a feature of NZ legislation, we are a country of landlords, corporate landlords. The overriding reason though is capitalism. It's eating itself. And so many private cars and very little inadequate public transport. It's not only Tauranga, check out Auckland, it's the same in the central city. Choked with private cars in rush hour and vast underinvestment in public transport and infrastructure post WW2. We've followed the US model of town planning and endless tarmac and car-parks (what a waste of space and planet killing ugly infrastructure), unfortunately. A country that didn't follow the US is Holland. The difference with life in the inner cities in the Netherlands and New Zealand is chalk and cheese. Their inner cities are busy as with pedestrians and cyclists and small scale human sized shops, homes, and brilliant public transport, a great mix. Cheers and thanks for the walk-around. Keep up the good work and opening our eyes to the reality.

Thanks for reminding me why I should not pop in for a visit to the city.

Haven't they moved out to Bayfair. You went to an old style mall. I spent Christmas New Year, or more accurately in-between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. 3 of the last 5 or 6 years. A couple of times over a decade ago, and it is just crazy packed every time

Great videography, I appreciate a steady hand behind the camera. You nailed it in terms of our biggest issue - the empty town centre. Hopefully once the construction/renovations lesson it’ll become more accessible. Same problem as our beach though - lack of parking.

Blame 3yrs v roadworks. Navigating the city centre is a nightmare.

Its basically nz as a whole. Everyone moving to Australia. During COVID government gave away too many free money, which caused everything to double maybe tripple in price, but our income still same

Cool bro, strolling round Tauranga reading out names of businesses. That's some top notch travel blogging, you're the man bro 😂😂

I travel all of NZ regularly. Tauranga is the only place where I feel unsafe to walk at night. So many gang members peddling their drugs. Police drive around ignoring them. Why would you open retail in an area with all that going on.

The CBD has very little B. This is due to cost and council decisions to stop vehicles and parking. So try cameron road or betterstill the Mount. My workplace was in the Mount and the town is great. Then there is the beach a d the Harbour.

I've always had a soft spot for Tauranga. It has the resources and connections to be a great city, even from an international standpoint. My Mrs urged us to go and live there, and we did...for a season. We couldn't find good jobs, we were in our 30s and doing the types of 'struggle street' jobs you do in your 20s. Parking in the city was an overwhelming challenge. Don't get me wrong, Tauranga's a beautiful city, Mt Maunganui beach and restaurants to the east, waterfalls in the south, kiwifruit and avocado orchards to the north (& south), native bush all around. I still long for Tauranga's charms, but life is too hard there, and we couldn't really fit in, in the end.

I go to Tauranga alot... I've never gone to the city centre once in 20yrs! We head to the malls..

3:06 Fun fact: Hardley Ableson owners put those stupid uncomfortable handle bars on their pieces of crap so that the pain the position induces distracts them from the diabolically bad handling those things exhibit

Tauranga council allowed large suburban malls to be built. Also the city has a long Greerton Road just out of town to the outer suburbs full of shops and businesses. The town is too small, so ivevitably the CBD has suffered. The population will have to increase 30% to fill the CBD.

Rey very overpriced place to live,only wealthy live there ,and they are not spenders as that’s how you get wealthy in the first place

i remember going there when i was younger with my grandmother and it was busy in the centre of the city and absolutely lovely. quite sad to see that its essentially abandoned

I lived in Papamoa for years I used to hate having to go to town. I'd avoid it if I could.

This is the hometown and as a person that grew up in the CBD and ran amuck with mates and also had multiple places to hang out in central city Tauranga, to see what it has become is super sad and it sucks to see. The Mount is popping off now though, that's where everyone goes to hang.

I saw the thumbnail and knew it was my home town Tauranga straight away. Haha. Town has been dead for a long long time now. But Bayfair mall at the mount and Tauriko shopping centre in Tauriko just near Pyes Pa in Tauranga are the main shopping places. There was a huge amount of construction over the past years (farmers building, the uni/polytechnic building) in Tauranga that shut off part of town which only made the situation worse. The only part of town still kind of active is the strand restaurants and bars at night it seems. It is sad to see but has been getting worse and worse for about 10 years now.

Tauranga has outpriced itself because of outrageous council demands and restrictions. Its a shame because it is beautiful but you are right about the mosaics and footwalks, very nice, alot of potential just need to ditch the council

So tauranga and the mount, although there is a reasonable population the area is built on tourism now. With the pandemic and no cruise ships, many businesses suffered.😢 Kiwis will do our best to build it up again, we need people like you selling the country. Love your work!

15 years ago Tauranga had a cool surfy vibe and massive investment from wealthy retirees moving from Auckland. But what else should you expect when the economy gets shut down because someone got the sniffles.

Tauranga is an example of bad planning from roads to the crictical infrastructure needed to support businesses such as parking, etc...Add in bumper to bumper traffic because too many people are reliant on driving their own vehicle. Public transport is not a preferred method of travel for most who live there. Try travelling from Omokoroa into Tauranga every morning. Absolutely mental. Im not even sure forcing people on to public transport would solve that traffic/roading problem. Its a mini Auckland, roading/infrastructure problems 20 years behind the times.

Is that the ACDC drummers music shop or used to be .

For me one of the best Fish and Chips is in The Wellington Seafood Market on Cuba St in the upper part of Cuba St and if you go a little further up you find a GREAT Thai place I am still missing the food from there !

Thanks for visiting! 😊 Tauranga born and bred here and it's pretty sad to see our city like this now it was a thriving fun place back in the day but who wants to pay for parking down there when you have numerous malls and strip malls you can visit and get all your stuff done for free the city centre has nothing to offer the main demographic of tauranga which is families hopefully one day it will be hussling and bustling again 🤞

That was me in the carpark at the start mate was bit starstruck would have offered you a joint, I'm so sorry for ruining your Mahi 🤣 I'm as local as you can get. Tauranga Moana thanks you much love brother! Best wishes 👍🏽

Wow …. Your video is super clear.. what did you use for recording?

Empty?? WHAT HAPPENED??!! I live in Perth (Aus) right now and haven't been back to NZ for the past 5 years... WOW

The traffic and house prices have skyrocketed in Tauranga. To many moving there in to short a period. The lakes has taken over the city. It’s taken me a hour at times to go the length of cameron road and normally with low traffic only 10 minutes, Tauranga is stuffed, wages are terrible and house prices are shocking. Tauranga over 10 years ago used to follow the nz national medium . About $488000 back then. I would imagine Taurangas medium is well above the national minimum now. One good thing tho, Tauranga needs wealth Aucklands to keep prices up . Without Auckland and tga prices crash , which has started. Tauranga is also full of hopeful national party supporters, and there narrative right now is national will save the housing market

Surely the resident should get the Federal Government involved and sort it out. What are the owners of the retail properties doing about it. THEY MUST BE LOSING MILLIONS IN RENT, AS THE TENANTS CANT PAY 5HE RENT.

Never seen so many “To Lease” signs. Sad really.

Was in Napier recently, still a healthy down town vibe there. No suburb shopping malls would be the reason for that.

Adelaide City Center is also dead, too expensive to Park, and even too difficult to dtive through.1/2 the Road surfaces given over to bikes but rarely used.. Rundle st (main st) has no shade and is deserted. Also mostly empty shops

Wealthier Asian immigrants are not heading and staying at Tauranga.

In Townsville Queensland the main shopping area is pretty empty as well. I wonder if it’s like that in other places as well.