Urban fun by the sea
Just five minutes apart, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui offer a brilliant combination of beach adventures and urban lifestyle.
- Get friendly with the local dolphins on an encounter cruise. If the conditions are right, you can swim with them
- Walk around the base of Mount Maunganui (Mauao) or hike the 1.5 kilometre trek to the summit
- Sample sumptuous wines at local award winning wineries
- Relax at the Mount Maunganui Hot Salt Water Pools
- Go fishing. Catch a charter to the marlin waters of Tuhua (Mayor Island) or dangle a line in the harbour
- Stroll The Strand and check out the cafes, bars and restaurants
- Visit the award winning Fresh Fish Market on Dive Crescent for some of the country's freshest, tastiest fish and chips
- Browse the designer stores in Tauranga's business district or visit BayFair, the most successful shopping centre in New Zealand
Action-packed adventures
If you're craving excitement, expect the unexpected:
- Take a guided tour of White Island, an active marine volcano that's seething with mud pools, steaming vents and crater lakes that change colour and size almost daily. You can access the island by launch or helicopter
- Enjoy the thrills and spills of a 30-minute adrenalin-pumping jet boat ride on the spectacular Kaituna River
- Hop on a blokart for an unforgettable land-sailing thrill. Zoom around the purpose-built track in Papamoa
- Skydive in one of the North Island's most scenic drop zones
- Get airborne on a parasailing experience and be blown away by the views
- Enjoy a guided kayaking trip on the Tauranga Harbour, Wairoa River or Lake McLaren
- Dare yourself to take a white-water rafting trip on the lively Wairoa River, which has several grade five rapids
Time for a picnic
A sunny day is good enough reason to pack a hamper and find yourself a picnic spot.
- Visit Kaiate Falls in Welcome Bay, a beautiful native bush reserve where the river runs through a series of stunning waterfalls
- Take a walk on Moturiki Island, which connects to the main beach at Mount Maunganui. During an easterly swell, the blow hole puts on a spectacular show
- Visit McLaren Falls, 170 hectares of lake land reserve. It's stunning in any season. Discover one of New Zealand's best botanical collections - a veritable melting pot of natives and exotics
- Mountain bike through the Oropi Gorge - a hair-raising adventure for thrill seekers
- Enjoy the history and culture of Whakatane on one of the world's finest walkways - Nga Tapuwae o Toi (in the footsteps of Toi). Starting and finishing in Whakatane, this superb 16-kilometre walk takes in sea cliffs, ancient pa sites, bird colonies, remote bays and pohutukawa forest
Local flavour
Taste the Bay's home-grown flavours and learn about local history and culture:
- Find out about the kiwifruit industry at Kiwi360 in Te Puke. You'll enjoy a guided tour on a kiwicart and the chance to taste all sorts of kiwifruit products in the gift shop or café
- See what the honey bees have been up to at the Comvita Visitor Centre in Paengaroa or Mossops Honey in Tauranga. Shop for all sorts of innovative honey products
- Learn about the region's history at the Elms Mission House
- Explore local viticulture at two award-winning wineries - Morton Estate in Katikati and Mills Reef in Tauranga. Both offer free wine tasting
- Learn about the Bay's strong Maori culture on a guided tour or marae visit
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| The Bay of Plenty is home to tens of thousands of friendly Common Dolphins |
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| Learn all about the unique kiwifruit at Kiwi360 in Te Puke |
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