The bay stretching from the Coromandel Peninsula to East Cape includes many great beaches plus Rotorua and the twin cities of Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. It’s one of the top holiday regions for Kiwis, and maintains a strong Maori culture.
The Bay of Plenty was named by Captain Cook when he noted its abundant fruit-growing properties (he also named Poverty Bay, for opposite reasons). The Bay still maintains a vibrant agricultural industry, growing kiwifruit in its temperate climate. Many backpackers doing seasonal fruit picking work come up this way during the winter months.
The area inland from the Bay is a geothermal playground with boiling mud pools and hissing geysers. Rotorua is one of the biggest tourist attractions in New Zealand and the primary base for checking out the geothermal action, and is also a centre for performance of traditional Maori heritage.
Tauranga is a fast-growing and sophisticated coastal city; its neighbour Mount Manganui is a top surf spot, particularly among Kiwis.
The Bay of Plenty holds an abundance of attractions for travellers; no trip to the North Island would be complete without stopping here.
