The Bay of Plenty is a great place for a family holiday. It’s a natural playground, with boundless beaches, thermal hot pools and lush forests. There’s also plenty of adventurous activities on offer. I recommend going in summer (Jan/Feb) to make the most of the beautiful coast.
Overnighting in Auckland
If you’re looking to overnight near Auckland Airport a good place to stay is the Ibis Hotel. You can get the hotel shuttle bus from the airport (AUS$6 ea) or just walk, it’s about 1.5 kms. The rooms are small, but clean. You can squeeze a family of 4 into one room $AU150 p/n, but 5 people will require 2 rooms $AU250 p/n. They offer a breakfast for $AU17 ea. We thought this was a bit steep. Instead you can walk to the nearby supermarket and buy something and still use the Ibis dining area to eat. We always use Apex Car Rentals. It’s a 13 min walk to get there from Ibis (generally we just send Pete) or call their free shuttle bus to pick us up.
ROTORUA
It will take around 2 hours and 40 mins to drive from Auckland to Rotorua. When we were kids we used to call it “Rotton Rua”, because of the sulphur smell. It’s the first thing you notice as you enter this thermal wonderland, although Rotorua is anything but rotton. You will find pristine lakes and forests, along with thermal/mud pools, spouting geysers and a ton of Moari culture. There’s also some pretty serious adventure activities on offer too, like zorbing, luging and white-water rafting.
ACCOMODATION
We stayed in a self-contained unit at the Top 10 Holiday Park, at Lake Tikitapu, more commonly known as the Blue Lake. It’s directly across the road from the lake and costs around $175 p/n. There is also a nice walk around the lake which takes about 1.5 hours.
THINGS TO DO IN ROTORUA
The Redwood Forest
Walk or cycle through the Redwoods (Whakarewarewa Forest). There are multiple walks that range in length from 30 minutes up to 3.5 hours. This is also a fantastic place to cycle, with around 180km of trails, with something for all levels of rider, from beginners and family groups to experts looking for an extra challenge. For bike hire go to Mountain Bike Rotorua. You can also go horse trekking with Blazing Saddles. They are family-friendly and reasonably priced.
Skyline Luge
Skyline Luge is heaps of fun. We keep returning time and time again to this activity. There are different courses for different abilities. Race to the bottom of the mountain, then catch the gondola up to the top again. If you’re a little more adventurous try the skyswing or zipline.
Te Puia
Te Puia is a wonderful place to learn about Moari culture and experience the mystical, steaming earth of the geothermal valley. Discover a traditional Maori village, learn a Poi dance and see the Pōhutu geyser up close. It’s the largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, sometimes reaching a height of 30 metres. It costs around $100 for a family of 4 or 5.
Rotorua Museum
The Rotorua Museum is housed within a Elizabethan-style building, which was originally built as a Bath House in 1908. The therapeutic treatment of it’s water was sort after by many international visitors. At it’s peak the Bath House gave up to 80,000 baths annually. But over the years demand faded and in the 60’s it was closed. A museum was created in a single wing. At one point it also housed restaurants and even a nightclub. When I was small child I remember attending a wedding reception there. However, during the 1990’s these were all closed. Don’t forget to check out the views from the rooftop balcony.
TAURANGA & MOUNT MAUNGANUI
THINGS TO DO IN TAURANGA
On your way from Rotorua to Tauranga stop by the Adrenalin Forest. Our kids loved this place. There are many different heights to match all levels of valour. We thought this was a great confidence-building activity. It’s very safe and the staff are great. Adults $45, children (U18) $30.
Discover McClarens Falls
McLaren Falls Park is 190 hectares of parkland set alongside Lake McLaren and is just ten minutes by car from Tauranga. As kids we spent many weekends here, picnicking, playing in the creeks and walking to the waterfall. McClarens Falls Map.
You can also go white water rafting on certain days. The Wairoa River is dammed and rafting can only take place when the water is released. In order to do this they have to shut down the hydroelectric power station, which is done only 26 days per year between September and May (usually on a Sunday). I did this with RiverRats many years ago and although it is promoted as a Grade 5, it’s pretty tame really. The only hairy part is the waterfall at the end. Costs around $150 p/p.
Climb Mount Maunganui
The Mount is 232m high. It sits at the end of a narrow peninsula with the open ocean on one side and the calm waters of Pilot Bay on the other. You can walk around or up the Mount. Walking up is not too strenuous and has excellent views down the peninsula and across to Matakana Island.
The path around the Mount is well maintained and stroller-friendly, although a little crowded at times. You can stop and enjoy the beaches and rock pools along the way. This is probably the best option for a family with small children.
Kiteboarding
There are numerous places to go kiteboarding in the Bay of Plenty. One of the most popular is Fergusson Park in Tauranga. There’s plenty of flat water and grassed areas. Bring your own equipment or hire from Assault, who also offer lessons.
WAIHI BEACH
Waihi Beach is a long white sand beach. There is usually enough surf to have fun boogie boarding or surfing. It’s pretty safe swimming almost anywhere, but there are lifeguards situated at the northern end if you want to play it safe. There are also some really cool swings on a giant Pohutukawa tree nearby.
WHERE TO STAY & EAT
My lovely sister lets us stay in her beach house so we don’t usually book accomodation here. Try the Waihi Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort or the Beachaven Holiday Park. Alternatively search for a house on AirBnb. The best places to eat/drink are the Secret Garden Cafe, which has a Balinese vibe and good smoothies. Waihi Beach Bakery has excellent pies (try the Butter Chicken). The RSL does a nice roast meal in Sundays. The small supermarket is quite expensive so stock up before heading to Waihi Beach.
THINGS TO DO IN WAIHI BEACH
Walk to Orokawa Bay
This walk takes around 40 minutes. It’s not a difficult hike (although it is uphill) and you get excellent views at the top. The day we did this walk the weather wasn’t the best, but we practically had the beach to ourselves. You can also continue walking all the way to Homunga Bay and have someone pick you up from there, but this walk takes over 2 hours.
Go to the Beach Hop
The Beach Hop is an annual event in the township of Waihi. This makes for an excellent day out with loads of fun activities and street stalls, but the highlight is the dozens of impeccably restored classic cars on show. Waihi started as a small gold-mining town in 1880 and become well known when it opened the gold mine ‘Martha’. It makes a great backdrop, with music and dancing taking place in the old Cornish Pumphouse.
Bowentown beaches
Bowentown is a little south of Waihi and is definitely worth exploring. There are hidden beaches and great places to fish.
Find the secret beach
This is one of our favourite spots. It’s a hidden beach at the bottom of a steep walkway. There are caves for the kids to play in and rocks to scramble around. I would be careful swimming here though, the current is very strong. To find it drive to the end of Seaforth Road and look for the trail on the left.
Go fishing
You can take the short walk from Anzac Bay to Shelly Bay. This is an excellent fishing spot on the outgoing tide.
THINGS TO DO IN THE WAIKATO
Cycle the Hauraki Rail Trail
The Hauraki Rail Trail is especially scenic through the Karangahake Gorge. Pete and Co chose the Section C part of the trail – Paeroa to Waihi. The distance is 14km and it takes around 1.5 hrs. This section follows the river and takes you past the Windows Walkway and through a 1km long tunnel. You don’t need to cycle the entire section to take in the incredible scenery though. You can take your time and even stop off at the cafe if you like. Hire bikes from Adventure Bike Hire in Waihi.
Hobbiton
I have to admit I’m not a Hobbit fan. The only experience I have of Hobbiton is when my old friend (who lived in Matamata many years ago) invited me over to her house, which she rented on a local farm. We jumped the back fence and walked down the back paddock to see the dilapitated movie set. Today it has been restored and you can now take a guided tour. The cost is $225 for a family pass.
Watch a game of rugby in Hamilton
Rugby is the national sport of New Zealand. Kiwi’s are passionate about the game and love to support their team. A good place to catch a game is at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.
HOT WATER BEACH
Hot Water Beach is not technically in the Bay of Plenty, but north in the Coromandel, however it’s worth making a side trip on the way to or from Auckland. It’s an astonishing place. A hot thermal spring runs under the sand down towards the sea. The area of the spring is not that wide and it can get crowded at times. It’s fun to see who can dig the best pool and relax in the warm waters. Spades can be hired from the Holiday Park. We stayed overnight at the Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park across the road. The cheapest option for a family of five was the Family Cabin (NZ$185), but unlike other cabins it didn’t have a kitchenette or bathroom. You have to use the communal facilities.
TAUPO
THINGS TO DO IN TAUPO
If you haven’t had your fill of lakes in Rotorua you can always head south to Lake Taupo, New Zealand largest lake. You can hire boats to drive around the lake or just explore the shoreline. Don’t leave without seeing the glow worms at Waitomo Caves or visiting Huka Falls. For the real adventurous families why not try Black Water Rafting.
Huka Falls
Huka Falls is a sequence of small waterfalls which finishes with a thundering 10 m waterfall. Around 220,000 litres of water per second power over the falls with such intensity it leaves you awestruck. You can walk along the cliff to a lookout or get up close on the water with Huka Jet on a speedboat. A family pass is $300.
