Best of Bay of Plenty

Bay of Plenty Region Essentials

This collection highlights the geological and cultural diversity of the Bay of Plenty. It features the geothermal landscapes of Rotorua, including the world’s largest hot spring at Waimangu and the active Pohutu Geyser. Cultural sites like Tamaki Maori Village and the Buried Village of Te Wairoa provide insight into indigenous heritage and the 1886 Tarawera eruption. Coastal highlights include the volcanic cone of Mount Maunganui, while the Redwoods Tree Walk and Lake Tikitapu showcase the region's diverse natural environments.

Bay of Plenty Region Essentials — Map

timmarshall / CC0

A

Mount Maunganui

Mount Maunganui, or Mauao, commonly known by locals as The Mount, is a dormant volcanic cone at the end of a peninsula in the town of Mount…

Ines M / CC-BY-SA

B

Te Puia Thermal Park

Home to the Pohutu Geyser and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. The site features active mud pools, silica formations, and a kiwi conservation center.

RaviGogna / CC BY 2.0

C

Tamaki Maori Village

Located in a forest, this village offers you a magical insight into the Maori culture.

David Broad / CC BY 3.0

D

Waimangu Volcanic & Thermal Valley

Created by the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption, this geothermal system contains the Frying Pan Lake and Inferno Crater. It is documented as the world's youngest volcanic valley.

Pseudopanax / Public domain

E

Frying Pan Lake

Frying Pan Lake is the world's largest hot spring. It is located in the Echo Crater of the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley, New Zealand and…

(WT/de) Thorsten / CC BY-SA 1.0

F

Pohutu Geyser

The largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, erupting up to 30 meters high approximately 20 times a day. It is situated within the Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley.

Schwede66 / CC BY-SA 4.0

G

Rotorua Museum

Housed in the historic Tudor-style Bath House building within Government Gardens, this museum documents the region’s Te Arawa heritage and volcanic natural history.

Fabiana Valera / CC-BY-SA

H

Redwoods Tree Walk Rotorua

A 700-meter long walkway consisting of 28 suspension bridges suspended between 120-year-old Redwood trees, reaching heights of 20 meters above the forest floor.

Pseudopanax / Public domain

I

Hell's Gate

A geothermal reserve and mud spa featuring the largest hot waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere and medicinal sulfur mud pools used by Maori for centuries.

Bgabel / CC BY-SA 3.0

J

Buried Village

Te Wairoa was a village close to the shore of Lake Tarawera near Rotorua, New Zealand.

K

Whakarewarewa thermal village

A living Maori village where residents use natural geothermal energy for daily cooking, bathing, and heating. It is the ancestral home of the Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao people.

Fabiana Valera / CC-BY-SA

L

Rainbow Springs

A wildlife park focused on New Zealand's native species, featuring a kiwi hatchery, tuatara, and various bird species set among natural spring waters.

Charles Henry Howorth (1856-1945) / Public domain

M

Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake)

A rhyolite caldera lake known for its distinct turquoise color, caused by the reflection of light off the shallow white pumice and silica bottom.

Other Lists

Wilderness Huts & Campsites Scenic Viewpoints & Peaks Scenic Waterfalls Parks and Nature Reserves Public Facilities & Shelters