February 19, 2013
On our second day in the Bay of Plenty, we drove over the bridge from Tauranga to nearby Mount Maunganui. We’ve seen some unusual-looking places in New Zealand, but Mount Maunganui takes the prize. It’s a long finger of land, about 3 miles long, narrowing to about 3 blocks wide at the neck. At the end of this finger sits the Mount, an extinct volcano cone about 800 ft tall.
A map of Mount Maunganui (New Zealand)
Stemming out from the volcano are two beaches. Pilot Bay and its beach are on the harbor side of the finger, a well-protected bay with boats at anchor and people playing on various watercraft. There are a few businesses along road there, but it’s mostly residential.
On the east side of the finger is a wide, white sand beach with a several-story hotel/apartment complex, restaurants, cafes, and a more lively feeling. This beach, called Ocean Beach, is also a great place for surfing.
As you head down the coast, the businesses and activity fade after a mile or so, but the beaches continue, backed by grassy dunes and parkways, and quiet residential areas on the inland side of the coast road.
Right down the middle of the finger is the main street, Maunganui Road, with shops and restaurants galore, much like Tauranga but with more palm trees and more sunny, beachy feeling. (And not to be outdone by Tauranga, this town has a Starbuck’s, too!)
So far, we were really impressed with the two towns, but we still needed to talk to the marina and boatyard before we could make a decision to come down here. We still had some time; so we decided to do some walking first. –Cyndi
