Bay of Plenty

Where to Stay · Bay of Plenty, New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 11 min read Tauranga and Mount Maunganui sit on opposite shores of the same harbour, ten minutes apart by road, and yet they feel like two different holidays. That is the whole question. When people ask about Tauranga vs Mount Maunganui, they […]

OneLife · Itineraries · Updated 2026 · 9 min read Mount Maunganui is one of those places that gives back a full day even when you only have one. It sits on a slim peninsula in the Bay of Plenty, wrapped by ocean on one side and calm harbour on the other, with a relaxed

Travel Guides · New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 10 min read Mount Maunganui is a fine place to base yourself, and not only for the beach. It sits in the middle of the Bay of Plenty, within easy reach of geysers, glowworms, a film set and a gorge full of gold-mining history. The best

Experience Guides · New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 9 min read Mount Maunganui is one of the best places to learn to surf in New Zealand. The water is clear, the beach breaks are forgiving, and the waves work for much of the year. The best surf spots in Mount Maunganui run from gentle

Food and Drink · New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 9 min read Mount Maunganui punches well above its size when it comes to food. For a small beach town, the range is remarkable, from beachfront brunch spots to serious dinner tables. The best cafes and restaurants in Mount Maunganui cluster along Maunganui Road and

Travel Guides · New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 9 min read Mount Maunganui is built for the beach. The town sits on a thin spit of land, with the open ocean on one side and a sheltered harbour on the other. That gives it a rare thing: surf and calm within a few minutes’

Travel Guides · New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 9 min read Mount Maunganui is one of New Zealand’s most loved beach towns. It sits on a narrow spit at the edge of the Bay of Plenty, wrapped in golden sand and clear water. The best things to do in Mount Maunganui have long centred

Where to Stay · Bay of Plenty, New Zealand · Updated 2026 · 12 min read Mount Maunganui is shaped by one thing above all, the mountain at its tip. Mauao stands at the end of a narrow spit, with the open ocean on one side and a calm harbour on the other, and the

Updated 2026 · Mount Maunganui, New Zealand · Estimated read: 15 min Some towns are built around a view. Mount Maunganui is built around a mountain that sits at the end of a long sandspit, with the open Pacific on one side and a sheltered harbour on the other. Locals call it the Mount, and

Updated 2026 · Rotorua, New Zealand · Estimated read: 16 min You smell Rotorua before you see it. Hydrogen sulphide drifts up from the ground here, sharp and eggy, a reminder that the town sits on one of the most geothermally active pieces of land on earth. Within a day you stop noticing it. What