About Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty is a large basin stretching inland for nearly 260 kilometres (160 miles) of coast and almost continuous white sandy beaches. There are three main urban centres, all within about an hour’s drive of each other - Tauranga with a population of around 115,000, Rotorua (65,000) and Whakatane (33,000). The region is growing fast, particularly Tauranga which has grown by around 25% since 2001.

It was named in 1769 by Captain James Cook who found the people were generous and there were lots of fish, timber and other supplies. Tauranga is New Zealand’s fifth largest city. It sits right on the water’s edge and is well-known for its blue skies, warm climate, sparkling harbour and relaxed lifestyle.

Within the Region:

• Stunning beaches including Waihi Beach with it’s safe swimming, good surf, fishing and plenty of room for everyone.
• Mount Maunganui, a coastal resort town known as New Zealand’s 'Surf City'.
• White Island (Whakaari) New Zealand's only active marine volcano
• NZ’s single most popular walk: Mount Maunganui (Mauao) is an iconic landmark with a 3.4km base track
• McLaren Falls Park: 190 hectares of parkland set alongside Lake McLaren. Popular for camping, fishing, kayaking, disc golf and more.
• Ohope International Golf Club. Greg Turner in 2012 commented on Ohope International Golf Club "The seaside terrain is as dramatic as anything in the British Isles and the views are exceptional. This is links golf to match the very best anywhere!"