Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui, also know as “The Mount” to locals, is a popular beach town in the Bay of Plenty – just 2.5 hours’ drive from Auckland and located on the stunning East Coast of the North Island.
If you’re driving in from Auckland, you’ll want to make sure you stop at Blueberry Country in Ngatea for fresh real fruit ice-cream and blueberry picking, as well as Paeroa, home to the famous Kiwi fizzy drink L&P (Lemon and Paeroa). Blueberry Country, 229 Central Rd S, Ngatea 3576.
Shopping and local craft
When you arrive at the Mount, you’ll find lots of great shops, cafés, fresh produce and beautiful coastline. There are lots of local makers and creatives in Mount Maunganui who sell their goods at stores around town. You’ll find really cool homewares shops, gift stores and clothing stores stocking local and international brands. Make sure to stop at Neon Gypsy boutique for beautiful boho clothing, and for homewares check out Paper Plane store and Été at the Mount for gifts, books, leather goods and gorgeous home décor. Été at the Mount, 98 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui; Paper Plane, 99 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui; Neon Gypsy, 176 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui.
Café culture
Mount Maunganui has a thriving café culture and one of my favourites is Café 88, who are known for their sweet treats, great coffee and arty decor. If you’re stopping by, the carrot cake is a must-try, as well as their date and banana smoothie. Other favourites are Luca, a hole in the wall, no frills coffee stop and The Batch for a fresh and seasonal menu with beach-inspired interiors. Café 88, 88 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui; Luca Coffee, 90 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui; The Batch, 108 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui.
Beach and hiking
Down by the water, you’ll find Mount Maunganui itself and a coastline that stretches as far as the eye can see. Hiking up Mount Maunganui is a popular hike and is also beautiful at sunrise and sunset. There are two routes up the mountain, a shorter steeper route, and a longer moderate route which both take around an hour return, making time for photo stops. Reaching the top boasts incredible views of the never-ending coastline and vast Pacific Ocean below.
Refuel
After the walk, there are so many dinner options in town. Choose to enjoy some fish and chips on the beach or try out my favourite Mexican in town – The Barrio Brothers, where you’ve just got to try their prawn tacos.
There are plenty of bars and delicious restaurants to spend your evenings at. Mount Maunganui is known for its great food and friendly locals and you’ll experience this wherever you choose to take a seat. The Barrio Brothers, 101 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui.
Papamoa
If you follow the coast south, the beach stretches for miles and just 15 minutes away is Papamoa, which is much quieter than The Mount and just as beautiful. If you’re down here, you’ve got to try local cafe Henry & Ted, who have delicious eats. A must-try is their peanut butter latte! Henry & Ted, 5 Golden Sands Dr, Papamoa Beach, Papamoa.
Markets
During the weekend, both Papamoa and Mount Maunganui host craft and farmers markets which are well worth the visit. There’s always live music, seasonal produce and fresh juices and coffee up for grabs. The Sunday Farmers Market at Mount Maunganui are held every Sunday from 9am to 1pm in the Phoenix car park, right in the middle of the main street of Downtown the Mount. Rain or shine!
Whatever you choose to fill your time with, Mount Maunganui does not disappoint and is the perfect place to chill out and enjoy the beach town vibes.
Expedia compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site, such compensation may include travel and other costs.
More Articles With Adventure
When was the last time you went skiing? Were there heated walkways, free bubbles, hot toddies, hot tubs, and roaring fireplaces? We didn’t think so. If you haven’t been to Northstar California Resort, in North Lake Tahoe, you haven’t done skiing right. Here’s 10 reasons why this North American ski resort will take your winter… Continue reading 10 reasons Northstar shines bright in snow season
This article is a joint partnership between Expedia and Air Vanuatu. Being a mere three-hour flight from Sydney, two-and-a-half hours from Brisbane, and from June 2019, just over four hours from Melbourne, Vanuatu is the South Pacific neighbour where your family can have an active holiday and experience real island life. Immerse in the cultural… Continue reading 5 reasons to go to Vanuatu in 2019
More than four million people have climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and for International Women’s Day, BridgeClimb celebrated with a very special Power Climb made up of inspiring Australian women. The three hour BridgeClimb celebrates women working together, ‘rising above’ to achieve their dreams and marks the first of many series… Continue reading BridgeClimb takes International Women’s Day to new heights
It’s dark outside the four-wheel drive, Mexico’s highways are quiet at 4am, there’s just us and a few passing cars on the road for the two and a bit hour drive. The sky hasn’t started to lighten as we hop out of the car, stretch our legs and slowly walk into the park. Passing through… Continue reading How to take the best photographs of Chichen Itza
What’s roughly the same size as Singapore, had its own Ice Age and is just a few hours away from Australia? Trust us, you won’t guess because we’re talking about Lake Taupo. Located on New Zealand’s North Island, four hours drive south east of Auckland, Lake Taupo is in fact the same size as Singapore.… Continue reading Why Taupo needs to be on your to do list