Top 10 Things To Do And See Around Tauranga Tauranga is the largest city in the Bay of Plenty and one of the fastest-growing population centres in the country. Central to Auckland, Rotorua and Hamilton, and just a 15-minute drive from one of New Zealand's most popular beach towns, Mount Maunganui. Source — Newzealand.com 1. Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui’s Main Beach has been crowned the ‘Best Beach in New Zealand’ by TripAdvisor and ranks among the top 25 best beaches in the world. Often referred to as the Mount by locals. Perhaps most iconic is Mount Maunganui, Mauao, which rises 232 meters from the sea. The walking tracks to the top of this extinct volcano provide 360-degree views which span the entire length of the Bay of Plenty. Relax on white-sand beaches, surf in the warm ocean waves, or swim in the relaxing waters of Pilot Bay. This is a great place to kick back and people watch. Numerous beach, ocean, and multisport events are held here uti...