The Complete Travel Guide to Tauranga

Home to New Zealand's top-rated beach, kiwifruit farms, glow worms, street art, and much more, the region is aptly named the Bay of Plenty. If you are seeking to relax and for some excitement, you will see plenty of fun things to complete in Tauranga (the largest city), Mount Maunganui (coastal beach town), and the surrounding region.

It is a local's playground, a week-end getaway for other New Zealanders, a key cruise port, and a haven for international visitors.

Unlike cruise visitors, we had several days to explore. While our personal goal was a little relaxation, we couldn't resist many unique and fun things to accomplish in Tauranga and the surrounding area.


Things to complete in Mount Maunganui
With so many things to do in Tauranga's Local Travel Guide and in Mount Maunganui, we opted in the first place the icon – the extinct volcano rising up from sea level, which can be both a sacred mountain to the Māori people and the entrance to Tauranga Harbour.

Hike up Mount Maunganui or walk around the beds base
The extinct volcano's Māori name is Mauao, which means “caught by the dawn.” Rising 230 metres above sea level, Mount Maunganui's coastal views from the summit track are unforgettable.

Because of random turn of events, we didn't allow it to be to the most effective and had to turn back about midway up. To that point, the walk was steadily uphill but not as steep. It's a well known walk that's now labelled “the best” by one of many Game of Thrones stars.

If climbing Mount Maunganui isn't your thing, another popular track is the 3.4-kilometre path round the volcano's base.


See the blowhole on Leisure Island
Moturiki (Leisure Island) is just a tiny island accessible using a manmade land bridge from Mount Maunganui Beach. You can see the island in the photos above. The blowhole shoots seawater up at high tide on days with wild surf.

We visited on a calm day, so despite the correct timing, there clearly was no splash. However, the island has a lovely nature walk, offering plenty of rock pools and endless views.

Fun things to do in Tauranga
Tauranga is the greatest city in the Bay of Plenty. Tauranga harbour welcomes nearly a quarter-million cruise ship visitors annually, and the port of Tauranga is now the greatest cruise port destination in New Zealand, and consistently voted the favourite.