Minden Lookout Replacement

Share Minden Lookout Replacement on Facebook Share Minden Lookout Replacement on Twitter Share Minden Lookout Replacement on Linkedin Email Minden Lookout Replacement link

Kia ora, welcome to the Minden Lookout Replacement project page. Here, you'll find everything you need to know about the project, including plans, latest updates and photos.

About the project

We're building a new covered viewing platform at Minden Lookout, to replace the original structure, which was removed in early 2024 due to safety concerns.

The popular sightseeing location, near the corner of Minden and Junction Roads, is 286m above sea level and offers panoramic views over Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Matakana Island and the surrounding coastline.

Built around the existing stone plinth and viewing dial, the new structure will be single-storey, and designed to meet modern building code requirements. One of the key differences will be steel roof beams, compared to the original platform which was mainly made of timber. A new accessible path will also be built, to make the platform easier for everyone to reach.

Under the Kaimai Reserve Management Plan 2025, Council has committed to working with mana whenua to include heritage information at the lookout site in the future.

The original two-storey structure was built in 1977 by the Ōmokoroa Te Puna Lions Club (now the Bethlehem Te Puna Lions Club) and handed over to the Tauranga Council in 1978 (which later merged with other county councils to become Western Bay of Plenty District Council). It was closed in March 2023 for a structural investigation which deemed it unsafe.

We have worked closely with Bethlehem Te Puna Lions Club to make sure the new design meets modern safety standards, while respecting the history of this much-loved community facility.

What's happening now? (16 March 2026)

Work is progressing well, with the new platform expected to be finished in April.

The work has taken a little longer than originally planned, as we needed to add another retaining wall underneath the new platform to increase the structural integrity of the wider site.

Additional repair work has also been done on the decorative stone plinth. This was carried out by skilled stone masons, and included fixing loose cladding, re-grouting, and filling the plinth with concrete to strengthen it.

The steel beams are now in place, and the concrete access footpath and timber boardwalk are largely finished.

Next up, we’ll be doing the roofing, cladding and platform decking – before welcoming visitors back to this much-loved sightseeing location.


Kia ora, welcome to the Minden Lookout Replacement project page. Here, you'll find everything you need to know about the project, including plans, latest updates and photos.

About the project

We're building a new covered viewing platform at Minden Lookout, to replace the original structure, which was removed in early 2024 due to safety concerns.

The popular sightseeing location, near the corner of Minden and Junction Roads, is 286m above sea level and offers panoramic views over Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Matakana Island and the surrounding coastline.

Built around the existing stone plinth and viewing dial, the new structure will be single-storey, and designed to meet modern building code requirements. One of the key differences will be steel roof beams, compared to the original platform which was mainly made of timber. A new accessible path will also be built, to make the platform easier for everyone to reach.

Under the Kaimai Reserve Management Plan 2025, Council has committed to working with mana whenua to include heritage information at the lookout site in the future.

The original two-storey structure was built in 1977 by the Ōmokoroa Te Puna Lions Club (now the Bethlehem Te Puna Lions Club) and handed over to the Tauranga Council in 1978 (which later merged with other county councils to become Western Bay of Plenty District Council). It was closed in March 2023 for a structural investigation which deemed it unsafe.

We have worked closely with Bethlehem Te Puna Lions Club to make sure the new design meets modern safety standards, while respecting the history of this much-loved community facility.

What's happening now? (16 March 2026)

Work is progressing well, with the new platform expected to be finished in April.

The work has taken a little longer than originally planned, as we needed to add another retaining wall underneath the new platform to increase the structural integrity of the wider site.

Additional repair work has also been done on the decorative stone plinth. This was carried out by skilled stone masons, and included fixing loose cladding, re-grouting, and filling the plinth with concrete to strengthen it.

The steel beams are now in place, and the concrete access footpath and timber boardwalk are largely finished.

Next up, we’ll be doing the roofing, cladding and platform decking – before welcoming visitors back to this much-loved sightseeing location.