Mount Maunganui

After leaving the Opotiki area we headed over to Mount Maunganui. Choosing a camp site can always be a bit of a drama. We make great use of the NZMCA Directory as we are often looking for sites that are low cost or even free. We have everything that we need on board and not always feel we want or need to pay the higher costs of a full camping ground. Our directory had said that we could stay at the airport for up to three nights provided that we were self contained (which of course we are). The owner of the Opotiki CAP (Charges Apply parking) also mentioned this place to us as a good spot to use so we thought we would have a look. The directions to the exact spot were some what ambiguous but we eventually found it and it proved to be an excellent park. We had thought that it would be noisy but it was surprising quiet.



The next morning had the sun shining in through the bus windows and we decided that it was a good opportunity to walk to the top of the Mount. It is a good morning's exercise and we were most surprised at the number of people using the well formed tracks. The walk to the top is well worth the effort as you are rewarded with excellent vistas of the area. It is easy to see how visitors are attracted in large numbers to the beautiful beaches.

A view of the Mount from across the bay.

We had a drive through the shopping area which is home to dozens of cafés and eateries, as well as the usual shops. It was then back to the bus to relocate the bus to the outskirts of Tauranga and this time NZMCA campsite. Throughout NZ the Association owns or leases quite a number of camps and we like to use them where we can.

Posted with Blogsy