Out and About in Bay of Plenty
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When Captain Cook named the stretch of coast between the Coromandel Peninsula and East Cape the Bay of Plenty, he knew what he was talking about. Plenty of fruit, plenty of rivers, plenty of sand and plenty of sea.
But not even Cook could have envisaged the number of activities available along this stretch of coast today. Small wonder they call it the 'Coast with the Most'. It makes up part of the Pacific Coast Highway, one of the Pacific's great drives. State Highway 2 has numerous side roads which shoot up into the neighbouring mountain ranges. Even before you cross the Kaimai Ranges, there's an extensive network of tracks in the 37,000 hectare Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park, whose highest point is the 952m Mt Aroha.
KatikatiThe inhabitants of Katikati decided to portray their history on spare walls around town and have created large murals depicting events and people who have influenced the area. They're big, they're colourful, and they're worth a walk up the main street. Also worth a stop is the Morton Estate Winery just south of town, which produces some of the most highly regarded wines in New Zealand.
TaurangaThe Bay of Plenty's big centres are Tauranga and, just across the harbour, the beach resort of Mount Maunganui (combined population 85,000). Tauranga takes advantage of its harbour-side location and there's plenty of space to fish and stroll beside the water close to town.
Out in the big blue, game and smaller fish are waiting for you and you'll find plenty of charter boats on the central city wharf. You can swim with dolphins out there too and, just by crossing the road, you're on the doorstep of the cafés and shops.
Mount MaunganuiAfter crossing the bridge, you're in Mount Maunganui. The sprawling southern beaches of the Bay of Plenty come to an abrupt end at 'the Mount', and this is where most of the action takes place. Beach volleyball, surfers, swimmers, lifesavers, and cafés all make this place hum during summer months. As with all areas during the summer season, if you plan to stay here, book in advance.
Take a break from the water and walk around the pohutukawa tree-lined base of Mount Maunganui. Without too much puffing, you can climb its 252m high summit, where the golden beaches of the Bay of Plenty curve off the edge of the earth. Even at the height of summer, you will be amazed at how few people there are on these beaches if you drive 10 minutes down the road. Or you can take advantage of the many local golf courses.
Out and About From Tauranga airport, take a flight to see New Zealand's only marine volcano, and the most consistently active volcano – White Island. Sulphur deposits give the island its white hue. The whole Bay of Plenty region is known for its fruit, but kiwifruit in particular. You can find out everything you ever wanted to know about this furry fruit at
Kiwifruit Country, just south of
Te Puke. But that's after you've looked over the 70 vintage and classic cars at the Te Puke Vintage Auto Barn.
Take the stunning coastal drive next to Kohioawa Beach and you'll find yourself in
Whakatane, a small town at the mouth of the Whakatane River. From here, you can take a launch or a helicopter to see White Island, swim with dolphins, snorkel and dive Whale Island (about 8km off the coast), or go over the hill to Ohope Beach. This is another favourite holiday spot and families flock here in the summer. It offers an excellent climate, good facilities for a small town, coastal bushwalks and a pohutukawa forest.