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Bay of Plenty

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Partly Cloudy 12 ° C 54 ° F Tauranga Harbour
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Unwind and enjoy the sunshine in a stunning coastal playground offering a myriad of outdoor activities, endless beaches and bountiful countryside.

The Bay of Plenty was named by Captain Cook in the 18th Century and the moniker remains apt. Renowned for its great bounty of produce – including the famous kiwifruit – the region’s abundant sunshine and mild climate are the perfect complement to the long arc of its coastline. Hit the seaside cafés or the beach, or explore the hinterland with its forest walks, white-water rafting and fruit farms. Head offshore to swim with dolphins or circumnavigate White Island, a still-active offshore volcano.

DO IT. Climb Mauao for 360˚ views of the Bay of Plenty, learn to surf at Mt Maunganui, white-water raft on the Wairoa River, learn about iconic kiwifruit at Kiwi 360, Blokart down a long expanse of beach, check out the longest running jazz festival in the Southern Hemisphere in April.

Destinations

Katikati The ‘mural town’ is a small arty village.
Mount Maunganui Beach resort renowned for surf and sand.
Tauranga Small but sophisticated harbourside city.
Te Puke Kiwifruit capital of New Zealand.
Whakatane & White Island Seaside town, base for visits to volcanic White Island.

Getting there and around

Air Tauranga Airport, a 5-minute drive from the city centre, offers direct flights to Auckland and Wellington. The nearest international airport is in Rotorua, which offers trans-Tasman flights. Auckland International Airport www.auckland-airport.co.nz is the closest full-service international airport.
Road Access by road from Auckland is via the Pacific Coast Highway (2 hours, 55 minutes). Tauranga is 1 hour from Rotorua. Coaches provide regular services into and around the region. The eastern Bay of Plenty is less accessible by scheduled transport. Rent a car or campervan for maximum flexibility.

Insider's tip

If you only take one scenic walk in New Zealand, make it a hike to the top of Mauao – the panoramic views are worth every single step.

Getting fruity

Chinese gooseberries were introduced to New Zealand in 1904. They were renamed kiwifruit in 1959 when the first shipment was exported and the Bay of Plenty quickly became the new centre of a major New Zealand industry. Visit Kiwi 360 at Te Puke to find out more about this fuzzy, green-fleshed fruit.

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White Island (Whakaari)

Just 50 kilometres off the coast from Whakatane in the eastern Bay of Plenty lies an active volcano. White Island is an otherworldly landscape of bubbling mud pools, hot thermal streams and plumes of steam.

Mount Maunganui (Mauao)

An impossible-to-miss landmark in the Tauranga region, the cone of Mt Maunganui rises from the end of an isthmus between Tauranga Harbour and the Pacific Ocean.

White-sand beaches

The long arc of the Bay of Plenty offers superb sandy beaches all the way from the Coromandel Peninsula to East Cape: Mt Maunganui, Papamoa, Maketu and Ohope are some of the most popular.

Café culture in Tauranga

The city of Tauranga, just a stone’s throw from the beaches of Mt Maunganui, offers great harbourside shopping, dining and coffee.

Wairoa River

The Wairoa River offers some of the best white-water conditions anywhere in New Zealand, starting with gentle Grade 2 cascades and building to thundering Grade 5 rapids.

Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park

Situated in the Kaimai Ranges of the western Bay of Plenty, this forest park offers stunning scenery – from lush rainforest thickly carpeted with ferns to Kauri trees and waterfalls.

 

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