Destinations

This laid-back sun-drenched eastern corner of the Bay of Plenty has golden sand beaches for those who want to laze and swim. It also has action aplenty for adrenalin-junkies and adventurers. This is a town that is small in numbers but big in attitude.

'The Mount' rises abruptly at the entrance to Tauranga Harbour. It is an extinct volcanic cone that towers over the idyllic Ocean Beach, a summer mecca for thousands of sun, sea, surf and sand worshippers.

Sun and fun aplenty, all year round, is the main feature of the beautiful Bay of Plenty. You will never be lost for things to do here.

What could be better than a long expanse of sun-baked golden sand, lapped by the gentle Pacific Ocean, less than 2 hour's drive from Auckland city?

Tauranga means 'safe anchorage' in Maori. The city nestles beside a sweeping harbour of great beauty, backed by the green verdure of the Kaimai Range.

When the famous 18th century navigator, Captain Cook, names a sweeping stretch of sand the Bay of Plenty, you know it must be well endowed with riches.