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North Island

Bay of Plenty

Best timeSummer (December to March) is best for the beaches; Rotorua is good all year, and hot pools are best on a cool winter evening.
Getting thereRotorua is about three hours' drive from Auckland; Tauranga is about two and a half.
Main townsRotorua, Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki

Geothermal valleys, living Māori culture and long golden surf beaches: the Bay of Plenty pairs Rotorua’s steam and bubbling mud with the sunny coast at Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.

Highlights

  • Rotorua geothermal parks Geysers, boiling mud and silica terraces at Te Puia, Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu.
  • Māori culture Cultural performances and hāngī meals in Rotorua, and the living village at Whakarewarewa.
  • Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest Towering redwoods, a treetop walk and some of the country’s best mountain biking.
  • Mount Maunganui / Mauao Walk around or up the mount, then swim at the main surf beach.
  • Hot pools From the Polynesian Spa to natural hot streams like Kerosene Creek.

Best time to go

Summer (December to March) is best for the beaches; Rotorua is good all year, and hot pools are best on a cool winter evening.

Getting there

Rotorua is about three hours’ drive from Auckland; Tauranga is about two and a half. Both have airports with flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Main towns

Rotorua, Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki

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