Experience Plenty of Adventure
at Bay of Plenty New Zealand

As one of the largest bays on the northern New Zealand island, the Bay of Plenty has an entire region named after it. Bay of Plenty New Zealand was named by Capitain James Cook when he observed in 1769 that the Maori natives living in the area had plentiful supplies of food. Today, over 262,900 people live here; this area is host to some of the North Island’s most intriguing tourist attractions.

Tauranga is the largest city in Bay of Plenty New Zealand, followed by Rotorua. These two cities combined make up almost 60% of the region’s population. Both cities can be found in the region’s western parts on a Bay of Plenty New Zealand map.

Tauranga is currently New Zealand’s fastest-growing city; in the past 25 years, it has more than tripled in size. Its lifestyles, affluent suburbs, and shopping centers attract tourists and NZ residents alike. The nearby beaches bustle with visitors, and surfers seek thrills in the water.

Tauranga is the place to go to find great restaurants, bars, and clubs, featuring a wide assortment of New Zealand food and drink. This city never sleeps, and a creative nautical theme permeates its architecture and businesses.

Rotorua is a center of New Zealand Maori culture, featuring such communities as the Mitai Maori Village and the Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. Here you can observe traditional Maori lifestyles, songs and dances, and the famed meal tradition of hangi. Indeed, you might even get to take part in a powhiri, or Maori welcoming ceremony.

Rotorua is, furthermore, a haven for rest and relaxation at its many geothermal spas, where visitors can enjoy rejuvenating procedures like the Aix massage. The bubbling mud pools in the area are thought to produce mud with special healing properties. Rotorua’s geysers, such as the ultra-regular Lady Knox, provide quite a show for visitors. The Lady Knox erupts at 10:15 a.m. daily to the delight of observers.

Other areas of Bay of Plenty New Zealand have their own peculiar attractions for visitors. The town of Te Puke just 28 kilometers to the southeast of Tauranga boasts a thriving kiwifruit industry; you can visit it to sample this delicious, exotic treat. The shopping opportunities in Te Puke are also quite extensive, and the town has quite a bit to show for its cultural life.

The area of Whakatane is also a prominent Bay of Plenty tourist destination - known for its great weather and abundance of sunshine and great sandy beaches. The diversity of native NZ flora and fauna here will delight nature ethusiasts.

All of these adventures in the Bay of Plenty area only begin to skim the surface of the rich array of activities possible here. Enjoy a true plenty of New Zealand vacation fun in one of the North Island’s most exciting regions!