TOMMY KAPAI: Best of the West: what the Bay offers

If the Chinese new year is anything to go by this is the Year of the Rooster, or the heihei, so what better time to highlight all the Best in the West that the Bay has to crow about. Here goes.
The best batch has to go to 4 Adams Ave at the foot of the Mount while the best building goes to the old Post Office in Tauranga.
The best bit of property to buy or build is Busby Road in Katikati and anywhere on Plummers Point.
Best Bar goes to Brewers Bar simply because they bring the best live music into town while the best barmaid belongs to Patricia at Flanagan's.
The best burger is Cherrywood takeaways fish burger and the best banquet is the Three Sisters Thai kai on Devonport Road. Best brunch can be munched at the Mediterraneo Cafe and the best brekky is the eggs Benedict at Cafe Paradiso in Te Puna.
Best ice cream scoop is Tay Street dairy and the best club can be found half way up the Devonport Towers where the big deals are sealed in the Tauranga Club.
Best boat belongs to the majestic Nereides beautifully berthed at the Tauranga marina and the best boat ramp is Tanners Point just north of Katikati. Best picnic spot must be Mclarens Falls closely followed by a barge ride across to Matakana Island from Omokoroa wharf.
Best bench to take a breath on can be found half way around Mauao by Kuia Rock and for the best place to park up for the weekend check out the villas right on the beach at Papamoa Beach holiday resort.
For total seclusion, the discreet have discovered Charlemagne Lodge.
Best gym is The Gym and the best place to get your insides healthy is Harvest Health Foods, downtown Mount Maunganui. Out on its own, the best bank has to be the food bank on Dive Crescent.
Both of the best schools can be found out at Welcome Bay in the Rudolph Steiner school and te kurakaupapa Maori o Otepou, while Bethlehem College continues to raise the bar in best results.
Best Bay barber and the best husband and wife team in a business at 'U Name It' can be found up from the best lotto shop on the corner of Piccadilly Arcade and the best service for me is consistently delivered by the gorgeous gals at Tauranga Laundry on second avenue, especially when we arrive with a heap of hui washing from a rained out Easter kapa haka festival.
And for the best blokes and brilliant beauties the best brains belong to local freelance journalist Sandra Paterson.
Best Bro is Geoffrey Bidois the kind clerk that gives heaps of support up at the Tauranga District Court while the best bobby on the beat belongs to long time local Trev Brown. The best clubby award goes to the two Mount Rugby Club legends who climb inside the scoreboard every Saturday at Blake Park and the best sporting memory is the Christmas pro am hosted by the Reid family and friends at the old Te Puke Golf Club.
The best man belongs to the caretaker at Aquainas College who did the hard yards over Easter.
The Awhi Angels who manifest themselves as nurses in the Tauranga Hospital are the bestest beauties and the best steward goes to Larry the gate keeper at Tauranga Racecourse.
And speaking of best bets the Western Bay Finance Japan Cup next weekend at the Gate Pa course is a winner.
Back any horse that runs in the first or last race trained by locals Jim Pender and Del Roberts and for a real insiders tip, back any horse that looks like the owner parading them around in the birdcage. For no other reason than they are horse whisperers all born in the year of the chook and are ripe for plucking.