‘End of an era’: Iconic shop forced to close in ‘ghost town’

Friday, 3 January 2025

This story was originally published on January 22, 2024.

A popular Tauranga business that has delighted tourists and locals for 30 years is closing down as the centre of town is “dead”, despite having the fastest growing population in Aotearoa.

Long before chains like Cosmic made the stoner or ‘alternative’ culture mainstream, a little Tauranga store, Curiosity, was selling bongs and buddha incense holders and piercing bodies well before crystal-loving Gen Z were born.

Famously owned by a prominent local gang member, Dennis Pederson, fondly known as Deno, Curiosity couldn’t have been more different to its next door neighbour, an upmarket cafe where lawyers, judges and Tauranga’s glitterati sip oat milk lattes.

The owner of Curiosity, Deano Pederson, was a member of the Filthy Few Motorcycle Club and died in a crash twelve years ago.

But it was always just as busy, and Tauranga locals are devastated at the news it’s closing down.

After Pederson was killed in a motorbike accident in 2012, the shop passed to his friend Levi Phillips.

Phillips, who now lives in Australia with his partner Rhozie Edmonds and two children, said they kept it open for as long as they could.

“It was definitely a hard decision to close, and we kept it open as long as we could, keeping people employed.”

“We’ve been through a lot with them re-doing the street twice, and now after all that, the landlord is not renewing the lease as the street’s been made into a hospitality zone, so we’d have to move.”

The continued roadworks, construction and issues with parking had driven people out of the CBD, “killing businesses” like retailers and restaurants, Edmonds said.

Tauranga’s central city businesses have been plagued by construction work.

“It’s a ghost town. The council has destroyed Tauranga. They always should have moved the restaurants to the boat sheds and along the water where it’s already blocked off. I thought with the growth Bay of Plenty was experiencing there would have been new business opening up and it would be thriving in the years after Covid.”

When Curiosity announced it was closing on its public Facebook page, people were “sad” and said the city wouldn’t be the same.

“The end of an era. Due to the nature and character of staff and customers, it would be hands down the most cosmic store anywhere in NZ. Would call in to hear Deno’s true story of the glass vases for sale in the store but it was so elaborate the tale would change when the next customer asked,” Shayne Thomas said.

Many locals have memories of the store forever etched or marked on their bodies with tattoos and piercings.

“Aww man I got my piercings done by Deno back in 90s and got my first proper bong there the old brown bottle bongs.. I remember one time there was this dragon ornament I really liked but couldn’t quite afford it so he gave it to me for free. Still got it as well,” another man said.

Others remembered it as their first job, saying how well staff were treated.

“Wharf St will never be the same without Curiosity. It’s a big part of Tauranga. Deno was the best boss, loved my job there back in the day so much. Now everything’s dying in the CBD” former employee Tanya Jones said.

Many said it was their favourite shop in Tauranga, and people would come from other cities to visit. While people were sad to see it go, they understood the reasons, having witnessed the exodus of other businesses in town.

Curiosity has been a popular Tauranga store for 30 years.

“You've done well to last so long with the disaster that is Tauranga central. Sorry to hear you're closing,” said another shopper.

These comments were echoed by the many shoppers in the store when Stuff visited. One shopper even bulk bought the whole crystal cabinet and Harley T-shirts were flying out the door.

Tauranga’s city centre has become the city’s achilles heel: its “dead vibes” have attracted international attention.

One vlogger recently dubbed Tauranga, “New Zealand’s abandoned city” – “a ghost town”, with empty businesses and non-stop construction.

A TikTok video about Tauranga’s “dead vibes” went viral in 2023.

MP Sam Uffindell has attributed it to the “wrecking ball” approach of the city’s non-elected commissioners.

Uffindell told Stuff that National was committed to returning democracy to the city.

Tauranga currently is the only city in New Zealand without an elected local government and mayor.

Since 2021, it has been run by commissioners chaired by former National MP, Anne Tolley, when they were appointed to replace a dysfunctional administration lead by former mayor, Tenby Powell.