I have been in Tauranga for four years now. I don’t find it cliquey. If you make a reasonable attempt at getting out and try to find your niche, it should be easy to find like-minded people.
However, be aware that this is a small place. Everybody knows somebody through some connection, and this is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is very nice because you bump into people again everywhere – at the shopping mall, at the beach, at local events. It makes you feel part of the place sooner than if you lived in a metropolitan area with the anonymity that comes with this. On the other hand, you have to be careful what you say and to whom you say it because if you are an outspoken person, whatever you say will inadvertently be conveyed to somebody you didn’t want to know it. If you don't care, that's fine. But if you need to be Mr or Ms Nice, e.g. because you are job hunting, this can be a challenge.