“Are you going to jump”

Rose turns around

“It’s scary, okay!”

There is plenty to do in the Bay of Plenty. From running (or hiking) up the mount, cliff jumping, swinging off a waterfall, or kayaking around, it is an amazing place for a weekend in New Zealand.

Things to Know Before You Go

A short 4 hours from Auckland Tauranga is an amazing place for a weekend adventure. The drive is easy and if you’re in a sightseeing mood you can swing by the blue springs on the way. Tauranga is a stunning city set on the East Coast of the North Island. There is only one campground there and they charge $40 a night. There are no DOC campgrounds nearby so make sure you book early to get a spot!

FOUR THINGS TO DO AT MOUNT MAUNGANUI

The Mount

The landmark attraction of Tauranga is Mount Maunganui. This attraction erupts from the sea and dominates the skyline. The trail to the top is 3.4k and bring water because you’ll sweat — it is all up. You’ll need to do this hike twice if you really want to get the full experience. Sunrise lights up the entire ocean. Due to the nature of New Zealand, you’ll be one of the first people to watch the world wake up (literally). You know the Disney castle? Head to the top for sunset and watch the rivers and lakes reflect the golden purple glow of dusk.

You’ll need to do this hike twice if you really want to get the full experience.

The Cliff

Moments after saying it’s scary Rose flung herself into the surging ocean below. On the tip of Moturiki Island, a short walk down the beach from the mount, is a prime spot for cliff jumping. If you’ve been on a New Zealand adventure before you’ll be used to jumping into rivers but this is a whole new experience. Rather than the icy touch of a river, the ocean is a warm embrace. There are a number of different heights you can choose from here — all of them, fantastic. At 20 minutes from the campground, this cliff is a great place for a quick rush to get you through the middle of the day.

The Falls

Kaiate Falls is a double banger! When you start on the track you’re quickly greeted by a triple waterfall and you may be tempted to stop and say — this is good enough. Don’t. After grabbing some sweet pictures by this hat trick head down the track to a waterfall with a rope swing. Yup — a rope swing into a pool under a waterfall in the middle of the NZ wild. Depending on when you go (I recommend mid afternoon) sunlight will stream through a gap in the trees. This will keep you warm while you fling yourself into the air. The entire track is less than 5k and you’ll have heaps of time to rest while you enjoy the stunning views.

Yup — a rope swing into a pool under a waterfall in the middle of the NZ wild.

The Ocean

Now you’ve run up a mountain, thrown yourself off a pile of rocks, and trekked through the New Zealand wild. You might be thinking — yeah, all good now. Stop right there and go and get yourself a Kayak. This relaxing afternoon activity will give you an unreal view of the entire area. You can bop on over to any number of small islands and relax in the calm ocean. Just be careful surfing the kayak back to shore — you get going pretty quick!