Creative Trail

Cost: NZ$145.00 minimum 4 passengers

The Creative Trail is a collection of home studios and galleries in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. This tour will give our passengers the chance to discover just how creative our local residents are by visiting them in their own beautiful environment.
The tour begins at the Tauranga Visitors Centre and is completed at the cruise ship terminal.

The studios we visit are as follows:

• Margaret Lafaele in Matata, creates a range of spun and hand knitted scarves, shawls and other garments in merino, alpaca and merino/silk blends. She uses the technique of felting and also incorporates dyes and painting to create warm, soft and lustrous garments that are a joy to wear.
• Enjoy a picturesque drive through the town of Whakatane, hear the story of the Lady on the Rock and stop for stunning views on the way over the hill to Ohope Beach.
• Kevin Moore is a self taught wood turner who creates a variety of items in an interesting array of timbers, with fantastic results.
• Scilla Chocolates the home of the finest Belgian Chocolates. This unique factory is in a tiny corner of Debbie’s garage, where you can sample a selection of delicious hand made chocolates.
• Cheddar Valley Pottery, overlooking the stunning Ohiwa Harbour, was once a butter factory and has been converted by the present owners, Margaret and Stuart Slade, into a working ceramics studio. You can see hand thrown and hand built pieces including garden art, domestic ware, NZ designs and Margaret’s famous tagines.
• Bob and Carol Gee are blessed with one of the most beautiful views in the country. They present their original garden art in a delightful harbourside garden with bush walks, ponds and aviaries. They create a range of garden art accessories including mosaic urns, ornamental beehives, bird houses & feeders, planters and urns.
• Divine Jewellery showcases a collection of unique handcrafted jewellery designed by Katrina McLellan. These original pieces incorporate beadwork, paua, mother of pearl, glass, Swarovski crystal, freshwater and biwa pearls.

The studios visited are subject to change according to availability and will be replaced with an alternative if required. The itinerary will be adjusted accordingly to fit in with cruise ship departure times. In the case of an earlier departure time a selection of the above will be visited.

Lunch at own expense