The summit view
Sandbar and sea.
Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 · Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 · Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 · Panamitsu — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0
Mauao, also known as Mount Maunganui or simply The Mount, is a 232 m lava dome at the tip of a peninsula near Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. It dominates the flat land around it, and people come to walk around it or climb to the top, then swim at the beach below. The dome formed from rhyolite lava two to three million years ago. It holds the remains of an old Māori pā, or fortified village, and has a place in Māori history. The suburb of Mount Maunganui sits on a sandbar joining the mountain to the mainland, and it remained a separate town until the Tauranga Harbour Bridge was finished in 1988. From the base, paths branch off among ferns and pines. From the top you see the sandbar stretching away, the ocean on one side, the calm harbour on the other and small islands off the beach. Just a few blocks separate the harbour beach at Pilot Bay from the wide ocean beach, which is part of the charm. It is 57 km in a straight line from Rotorua, and some visitors combine the two. The climb is steep in parts, so bring water and suitable shoes, and start early in summer to avoid the heat. The base walk is easier and suits families. Check the lifeguard flags before swimming on the ocean beach, and respect the site's standing for Māori.
Sandbar and sea.
Easy, and good for families.
Wide sand at the foot.
Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty
It varies by path, so allow about an hour and a half up, down and resting.
Yes, the walk around the base is easier and suits families.