Look, if you're driving down from Auckland, Tauranga is usually the first place you actually want to stop and spend a few days. It takes about two and a half hours to get here on a good run (though the traffic on State Highway 2 can be a nightmare on a Friday afternoon). But once you arrive? The whole pace of life just slows down. You're right on the water. The air smells like salt. And suddenly you're wondering why you don't live by the beach permanently.
When figuring out things to do in tauranga, you have to split the city into two main areas in your head. There's the actual Tauranga city centre, and then there's Mount Maunganui. They're connected by a bridge, and honestly, you'll probably bounce back and forth between them every single day. The locals argue constantly about which side is better. I say just enjoy both.
