Bay of Plenty Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Bay of Plenty

When 18th Century navigator Captain James Cook sailed into the region aboard the Endeavour he was so impressed it aptly named it The Bay of Plenty.

The region is still living up to it's name and is one of the country's premiere holiday destinations surrounded by over 100kms of glittering white sand, crystal clear, rolling surf beaches, beautiful harbours and an unbeatable lifestyle.

Located on the East Coast of New Zealand's beautiful North Island, the Bay of Plenty offers so much choice. Head for the coast and take the opportunity to surf, fish, hire a boat or just dig your toes in the sand and read your book. The bay stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula to East Cape and includes many great beaches, Rotorua and the twin cities of Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. The area situated inland from the Bay of Plenty is home to a geothermal region with boiling mud and geysers and a rich Maori cultural heritage.

The Bay of Plenty is one of New Zealand's most popular holiday destinations, with 100's of kilometres of white sand, surf beaches, an abundance of sunshine and a temperate environment which means you can enjoy outdoor activities all year round.

Tauranga and Mt. Maunganui are located only 2.5 hours drive from Auckland and there's definitely 'plenty' to do and 'plenty' to see.

Tauranga & Mount Maunganui: This fast-growing city on the Bay of Plenty is one of the country's busiest ports and a major centre for the surrounding kiwifruit growing region. Tauranga is a vibrant city with a youthful atmosphere with plenty of cafés and a buzzing nightlife. Although it doesn't get many international visitors, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga's twin city, is one of New Zealand's major holiday destinations. The Mount's main feature is the extinct volcano cone that overlooks the popular 16km surf beach. Both Tauranga and Mount Maunganui have their unique attractions and both cities offer good accommodation options. Mount Maunganui has the beach but Tauranga has a more vibrant urban feel. Mount Maunganui's volcanic cone is its main landmark and offers a rewarding hike up to the top.

Whakatane: This pleasant town of 15,000 is a convenient place to organise trips out to White Island, which is just 50km off the coast. Other activities include swimming with dolphins and jet boating on the Matahina Dam and the Rangitaiki River. White Island, located 50km offshore from Whakatane, New Zealand's only active marine volcano offers a barren lunar landscape and amazing geothermal activity. Visiting White Island is an expensive day trip and you have the option of visiting either by boat or air, with the exception of the helicopter, flights are purely scenic and you don't get the chance to walk around on the island. Also visiting by boat also offers the opportunity to see (and perhaps swim with) dolphins.

Opotiki: Many travellers stop off at this small town before or after tackling the remote East Cape. There's not a lot to do here but there are some nice beaches nearby.

Rotorua: Rotorua is one of New Zealand's most unique cities. There are bubbling mud pools in the city's parks, steam rising from suburban front yards and that unforgettable smell of rotten eggs. Although the smell of hydrogen sulphide is a little off-putting at first, you'll soon get used to it particularly if you're planning to stay a few days. The city's thermal attractions are the main draw card with many geothermal attractions in the city centre and scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. Geothermal areas within day-tripping distance of Rotorua include Wai-O-Tapu, Hell's Gate and the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, however most people visit the more accessible Te Whakarearewa Thermal Reserve just 3km from the city centre. Te Whakarearewa also includes an excellent Maori cultural centre as well as Pohutu geyser, New Zealand's largest and most well known. Kuirau Park at the western edge of the city centre is also home of bubbling mud pools and steaming lakes -- because it is a city park it's a free attraction and a good alternative if your budget won't cover the entry fee to Te Whakarearewa. The area's thermal activity also means that there are several hot spas. Polynesian Spa near the Government Gardens in the city centre is a popular and affordable option if you want to soak in thermally heated luxury in an idyllic outdoor setting. Because Rotorua is so popular with budget travellers, a whole industry has popped up catering to the needs of the backpacker with plenty of fast-paced activities. There's bungy jumping, skydiving, white water rafting, jet boating and luge rides. An unusual activity is zorbing, where you get to roll down a hill inside an inflatable plastic ball.

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Population: 4.035.500
Languages: English, Maori (both official)
Currency: New Zealand dollar
Currency code: NZD
Local Times:
New Zealand - Auckland

New Zealand - Chatham Island

New Zealand - Wellington

Country Dialling Code: +64
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

It's been Middle Earth and Narnia in the movies but New Zealand's beautiful landscapes are no fantasy.

With a varied and dramatic landscape, a long and significant cultural heritage, and some of the world's rarest and most fascinating plant and animal species, New Zealand is an ideal adventure travel destination. Take a trip here and discover why New Zealand has it all - from flightless birds to breaching whales and breathtaking fjords to erupting geysers.

New Zealand comes with a reputation as a unique land packed with magnificent, raw scenery : craggy coastlines, sweeping beaches, primeval forests, snow-capped alpine mountains, bubbling volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes, all beneath a brilliant blue sky. The far north is a subtropical haven of unspoilt beaches, citrus fruits and hibiscus flowers, while volcanic mud pools and geysers feature in the central part of North Island. The South Island boasts whale watching, ice glaciers and rugged snow-covered Alps. And yes, there are many wide-open spaces.

What's more, everything is easily accessible, packed into a land area little larger than Britain and with a population of just 3.8 million, over half of it tucked away in the three largest cities : Auckland, the capital Wellington, and the South Island's Christchurch. Elsewhere, you can travel miles through steep-hilled farmland and rarely see a soul, and there are even remote spots which, it's reliably contended, no human has ever visited.

Geologically, New Zealand split off from the super-continent of Gondwanaland early, developing a unique ecosystem in which birds adapted to fill the role normally held by mammals, many becoming flightless through lack of predators.

Only in the last couple of decades has New Zealand come of age and developed a true national self-confidence, something partly forced on it by Britain severing the colonial apron strings in the early 1970s, and partly by the resurgence of Maori identity. Maori demands have been nurtured by a willingness on the part of most pakeha to redress the wrongs perpetrated over the last century and a half, as long as it doesn't impinge on their high standard of living or overall feeling of control. More recently, integration has been replaced with a policy of promoting two cultures alongside each other, but with maximum interaction. In this way New Zealand is set to forge through the new century with considerable dignity and a good deal of uncertainty.

The British represent the second largest group of visitors to New Zealand - after neighbouring Australia. But at 12,000 miles away from the UK it's a once-in-a-lifetime destination for many and takes a bit of planning.

Most British travellers either tack New Zealand on to the end of an Australian holiday and regret not having enough time, or take two or three weeks and race around like mad to see the whole country. While New Zealand is small enough to 'do' in that time, a more enjoyable option is to spend longer at just a few places - and then you have an excuse to go back!

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