Bay of Plenty is found on the east coast of Aotearoa, New Zealand’s North Island. It is home to idyllic, friendly towns and cities and is spread along 125-kilometres of glorious white sandy beaches. Although the views and beaches are pretty phenomenal by themselves, as the name suggests, there is plenty more to the area than just that.
The coastal Bay of Plenty is full of cultural and historical significance. Maori culture is evident throughout the region with sacred spots such as Mauao (Mount Maunganui), the Papamoa Hills and Maketu.
In 1769, Captain James Cook named the region the ‘Bay of Plenty’. Captain Cook was referring to the region’s welcoming people and abundant resources.
There are excellent universities in the Bay of Plenty, with fantastic teachers and a wide range of institutions. It makes the Bay of Plenty a great choice for international students. Te Whare Wānaga o Awanuiārangi, Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and the University of Waikato have developed a partnership together, so now provide many different pathways to education. Due to this they have an increased range of programmes, certificates, diplomas and degrees offered in the region. They are developing a new shared campus found in central Tauranga to give all their students a university campus experience.
Bay of Plenty has a sub-tropical climate and has 2,400 hours of sunshine a year. The scenery is fantastic, with the beautiful beaches and harbour. There are an abundance of restaurants, cafes and bars in the area, which makes it a great place to study, work and live. It is a very welcoming place, with people of all cultures and religions being welcomed and celebrated in our city. For some students knowing that the area they study has a buzzing nightlife scene is super important. Bay of Plenty’s night life has certainly grown in the past few years, with many nightclubs and bars that cater to both the ‘mature’ and younger crowds.
Bay of Plenty schools and universities have low rations of international students to non-international, meaning it will be easier for you to meet Kiwi friends and practice your English language skills. You will really feel a part of the community here.
If you go to the University of Waikato’s Tauranga campus, then you will benefit from their smaller class sizes than most other universities have. The small class sizes allow students to get to know each other better and have more one-to-one interactions with lecturers, which is great for their education. Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic also has smaller classes sizes to give students more of a personal experience and benefit from more support and attention.
The Bay of Plenty is perfect for students as it has low living costs. Student accommodation and rented places are much cheaper in the Bay of Plenty than in Auckland or other cities. Your money will go further in Bay of Plenty due to lower prices for not just living but other amenities. This means that you can do more for less!
