A true Pohutukawa paradise, the town of Whakatane (fa-ka-ta-ne) sits in a natural harbour at the mouth of the river of the same name. It’s the hub of the Rangitaiki agricultural district, but there’s much more to Whakatane than farming, with blissful beaches and volcanic Whakaari (White Island) for starters.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
The Western Bay of Plenty stretches along the coast from Waihi Beach to Maketu and inland as far as the Kaimai Range. This is where New Zealanders have come on holiday for generations, lapping up salt-licked activities and lashings of sunshine.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
Tauranga has been booming since the 1990s and remains one of NZ’s fastest-growing cities. The increasingly busy port serves the land for miles around, but it’s the migrants (many from Auckland) and holidaymakers who have seen the old workhorse reborn as a show pony. Restaurants and bars line the revamped waterfront, fancy hotels rise high, and the once-sleepy suburbs of Mt Maunganui and Papamoa have woken up to new wealth and homogeny.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
It was Captain Cook who christened the Bay of Plenty as he sailed into harbour in 1769, and plentiful it remains to this day, blessed with buckets of sunshine and a stunning sandy coastline. The Bay stretches from Waihi Beach in the west to Opotiki in the east, with a sprinkling of seaside towns and the bustling hub of Tauranga in between. Mt Maunganui – the sand-spit suburb that takes its name from the green mound at the end – has been popular with Kiwi holidaymakers for generations who love it for its lashings of salt-licked leisure activities.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
Breathe in the sulphur-rich air of Rotorua and you’ve already got a taste of NZ’s most dynamic thermal area with spurting geysers, steaming hot springs and exploding mud pools. The Maori revered this place, naming one of the most spectacular springs Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters). Today 35% of the population is Maori, with their cultural performances and traditional hangi as big an attraction as the landscape itself.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
This charming town has much to recommend it. The beaches – Ohiwa and Waiotahi – are worth the trip alone, but it’s also the gateway to the East Cape and the rugged forests and river valleys of the Raukumara and nearby ranges. Just recently, an excellent local museum was opened, a credit to the proud townsfolk and yet another good reason to pay a visit.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
Named for the massive 232m hill that dominates the township, Mt Maunganui (Large Mountain) is often just called ‘the Mount’, or Mauao. It’s famous for the beautiful beaches, one either side, and was made even saucier still when its 100m artificial surf reef opened in 2005. Sun-seekers flock to the Mount in summer, supplied by an increasing number of imposing apartments and luxury hotels studding the spit.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.
Stretching from Maketu to Opotiki, the Eastern Bay of Plenty’s main drawcard is long stretches of sandy beaches with a backdrop of cliffs covered in majestic pohutukawa trees. It’s beautiful country, and often overlooked, which is absolutely integral to its charm.
Read more for detail and Video tours from others.