4 Best Sights in Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

This dormant volcano is the region's visual icon; its rocky cone stands sentinel, 761 feet high at the end of the peninsula that boasts one of New Zealand's best swimming and surfing areas. White-sand beaches with rolling surf stretch for miles away from Mauao. Trails on Mauao include an easy walk around its base and the more strenuous summit climb. To get to Mauao, head toward it along any road running parallel to the beach. The Mount Maunganui area gets crowded around Christmas and New Year's Eve, so consider early or late summer (or even winter) for your visit. Beach walks or exploring Mauao is a delight at any time, and the sidewalk cafés are always open.

Four hundred and ninety-four acres of parkland, alongside a gentle flowing river that tumbles over the small McLaren Falls, make a great spot for a picnic or driving break. Picnic tables, coin-operated barbecues, and toilets are located throughout. Walks include a 10-minute easy bushwalk to the falls and more strenuous walks to lookouts on Pine Tree Knoll or The Ridge. It's located a 15-minute drive south of Tauranga off State Highway 29, one of the main roads into Tauranga.

The headland at the south end of Hahei Beach is the site of two former Māori pā (fortified villages). Although no trace remains of the defensive terraces and wooden spikes that once ringed the cliffsides, the stunning outlook, which made it an ideal defensive site in years past, remains. At high tide, the blowhole at the foot of the cliffs adds a booming bass note to the sound of waves. To reach the actual pā site, follow the red arrow down the hill from the parking area at the end of Pa Road. After some 50 meters (164 feet), take the right fork through a grove of giant pohutukawa trees, then go through a gate and across an open, grassy hillside. You can also pick up the trail onto the headland from the southern end of Hahei Beach at mid- to low tide.

Take a detour to the dazzling, white-sand Opoutere Beach and Wharekawa Harbour Wildlife Refuge, reached by a five-minute drive off State Highway 25, turning left 8½ km (5 miles) south of Tairua. The road follows the Wharekawa Estuary to a parking lot. From here cross a wooden footbridge and follow the trail for 10 minutes through the forest to the long white beach. Much of the estuary and headland area here is a wildlife refuge, a breeding ground for shorebirds, including the endangered New Zealand dotterel. Take care not to enter fenced areas as these protect the barely visible eggs that lie in shallow nests in the sand. For more information, ask at the Tairua or Whangamata information center.