Things to do in Mount Maunganui

Mount Maunganui sits at the tip of a sand spit about an hour's drive north of Rotorua, split between a surf beach on the ocean side and Tauranga Harbour on the other. 4 kilometres circles the headland in an hour or so without the climb.

At the foot of the mount, on the harbour side, a set of hot saltwater pools stays open into the evening, useful after a day on the beach or the track. Tauranga next door is the country's busiest port, so cruise ships and container traffic share the same harbour view.