The climb to the summit of Mauao, Mount Maunganui is harder than I remember.
Several decades ago, I would scuttle up the flank of the mountain, racing my siblings, no sweat. Today I stop, often, to take in the vista, the coastline stretched under a faded-blue sky, the birdsong, vegetation dancing in a light salt-scented wind. Of course, the effort is worth it.
Up the top, having caught my breath, I find the pounamu gifted to Mauao and touch its smooth surface, recalling the stories I’d heard earlier that day, and wondering at the number of hands that have made a similar gesture.
A lot of people are climbing the day I do. Solo walkers, couples, small groups speaking in languages from elsewhere. It’s a magnet, the Mount, standing proud of the horizon, visible from all over the Bay. It demands attention, whether that’s by climbing it, walking around it, bathing in the pools at its base, walking the beaches that stretch out at its feet. We do all of these, my travelling companion and I, on a three-day Bay of Plenty spin from Auckland.
What’s not to love about taking a new car down country for three days? The car was a plug-in ‘super hybrid’ BYD Sealion. The destination was The Bay, as we’d not been there in years. A simple recipe.
The BYD Sealion, a new Super Hybrid makes a great drive for a road trip. Photo by Kathryn Webster.
‘Our’ Sealion was impressive. Intuitive, responsive and comfortable, it made the dull motorway bit of the trip fun as we got the hang of its bits and bobs. It’s referred to as a super hybrid because it charges its batteries via its petrol motor; its range is over 1,100 km. And if we were so inclined, we had the option of using the car’s electricity for appliances, perhaps plugging in a coffee machine, a camping fridge or an air fryer. We didn’t, but it was good to know we could. (The BYD Sealion has just been crowned winner of the 2024 Car of the Year. See Avon Bailey’s BYD Sealion review.)
To celebrate arriving in the region, we stop at Waihi Beach’s Surf Shack Eatery for a relaxed lunch in the sun. It is the first of many excellent food experiences. Another memorable lunch is at the funky Rice Rice Baby in Mount Maunganui, sharing multiple Asian fusion dishes, each surprising and flavourful.
One evening we go to the Mount Hot Pools before dinner, which is a mistake; the silky, steamy mineral-rich soak tires us so thoroughly, we revise plans and head back to base in Tauranga for one of the deepest sleeps either of us has had in a long time.
Relax at The Mount Hot Pools. Photo: supplied.
Our room in Clarence Hotel helps with the magical sleeping. Cocooned within the solid walls of what was once Tauranga’s post office, our suite is a wonderfully tranquil space with high ceilings, beautiful old windows and a modern, comfortable fit-out. With only ten rooms, it’s a genuinely boutique hotel.
It is a short walk from the hotel to Tauranga’s shopping and dining area. There’s a mood of revitalisation in town, with construction cranes, new commercial buildings and a project to better connect the waterfront. Empty shops are cheered with brightly painted installations filling their windows; light-based art works spring out of vacant lots, energetic explosions of colour splash across pedestrian malls.
A colourful art installation brightens a Tauranga shop front. Photo by Kathryn Webster.
Creative and enterprising are perfect words, too, to describe Matahui Distillery’s ‘source to sip’ experience. Located on a rural property near Katikati, the boutique distillery sells direct and welcomes gin-curious guests to learn about the distilling process.
Before we are even in the door, we’re offered glasses of cool gin and tonic – low alcohol for daytime but, even so, one of us has to abstain and drive. Frankly, that was never going to be me.
I dab drops of various botanical flavours on my hand and then my tongue: juniper, coriander, horopito, sage, lemongrass, cinnamon. There are around 20 flavours to consider, distilled from ingredients mostly grown on the Matahui property. I put aside the ones I like and narrow it down, with a lot of advice, to a unique recipe. While we wait for a bottle of my own special gin to be formulated, we hear about Matahui’s various small-batch liqueurs, including a seriously delicious limoncello and an award-winning fennel liqueur.
Gin and tonic at Matahui Distillery. Photo: supplied.
On the outskirts of Katikati we find the Avocado Orchard Tour and spend a couple of happy hours learning about how this splendid fruit is grown. Orchard owner Tim’s enthusiasm is compelling. Did you know a mature tree pings with a million flowers but only a tiny percentage produce fruit? The flowers only live a couple of days so it’s a mad dash for half a million guest bees to get the pollination job done. Tim tells us that New Zealanders eat around 4.5 kilograms of fruit per person each year which is not bad (Mexico boasts eight per person and Australia 5.5) but he would like this to improve. Have we tried ice-cream made with avocado? Bliss balls? We get to taste these, as well as Tim’s famously good guacamole after the tour.
Selecting avocados on the Avocado Orchard Tour. Photo by Kathryn Webster.
After all that indulgence – gin, avocados, meals out, hot swims – it’s time to tackle an activity. Smallgusta is golf in miniature, an authentic nine-hole tiny course with stunning views across farmland all the way back to The Mount. It is a delightful slow-down moment, taking in the dips and curves of the various greens before swinging the club, relaxing into the mood, occasionally making par. No idea who won.
Seeing the triangular Mount poking up on the horizon, I wonder about its journey; had it been dragged by patupaiarehe through Ōropi? Legend has it the mountain was hauled to its current location after his love for another mountain was rebuffed. We heard this from Les, our guide on a walking tour around the mountain, following a sun-dappled path under ancient pōhutukawa from Ocean Beach to Pilot Bay. Mauao, as it is traditionally known, was a pā site and unsurprisingly the scene of many dramas and tragedies. Wayfinding signs along the path share the history and stories of Mauao and explain the project which has replaced the trig at the mountain’s summit with a cultural compass, incorporating the pounamu touchstone.
Sunny Bay of Plenty views from Mount Maunganui. Photo by Kathryn Webster.
As Les weaves strands of knowledge around our morning walk, I sense the vital spirit of the place. Despite its sad origin story, the mountain whose name means ‘caught by the dawn’ stands at the mouth of Tauranga Moana, bristling with mana and beauty, much loved and much honoured.
Story by Kathryn Webster for the Summer 2024 issue of AA Directions Magazine. Kathryn Webster is the Editor of AA Directions magazine.
Explore more from AA Directions magazine while you're here:
- Indoor climbing challenges the body and also the mind.
- What do vulnerable road users want all motorists to know?
- Discover art deco architecture, great food and exceptional wine in Hawke's Bay.
