Day 7 & 8 Mount Maunganui - beach & Hike the Mount !

We picked up our rental car from Apex Car Rental, nearby our hotel and drove from Auckland to Mount Maunganui today.  We had a picnic stop at Waihi Beach along the drive.  We are staying 2 nights in Mount Maunganui area.  Surfing and swimming are popular here (we did neither though), and it also has nice beaches to walk and lots of cafes and restaurants.  It is a beautiful beach town.   We technically stayed in the beach town of Papamoa.   The beach runs continuously between the two communities.  We hiked up the Mount Maunganui.  This was a nice hike, we did the medium route.  Spectacular views at the top.  

We also walked to a nearby peninsula/island reserve just off the main beach in the town and another hill by the beach.  We had Fish and Chips for supper in a local restaurant. 

Some pics below…….

Sunset on the bay side

Surf lessons available

Local high school students in training

Mt Drury Hill

Mt Maunganui in the background

Island Reserve just off the main beach, we walked to the end

Surf board showers

View part way up The Mount

Path going up Mt Maunganui

View from near the top of Mt Maunganui

Beaches in background are Mt Maunganui & Papamoa, they run one into the other

Our VRBO suite was in this house (up for sale)

View on beach at the end of the street we were staying at (Papamoa Beach); Mt. Maunganui in background

Papamoa Beach

Picnic location