The Bay of Plenty is all about exploring the beautiful beaches, with numerous breath-taking stretches of golden sand inviting long walks, beachcombing and swimming. The gentle rollers of the South Pacific Ocean also provide the perfect conditions for surfing and this is the ideal spot to give it a go, with several outfits offering lessons or board rental. Tauranga is a lively seaside town and is a great place to soak up the beach atmosphere and to really appreciate the scenery of this coastline do the 45-minute walk up Mount Manganui for incredible views towards the Coromandel in one direction and the East Cape in the other.