Bay of Plenty Attractions

The Bay of Plenty lies between the Coromandel Peninsula in the west and the East Cape. The main towns are Tauranga, Whakatane and Opotiki.

The gently curving and shallow bay is also known as the Kiwi Coast. Over the last 30 years numerous kiwi plantations, sheltered by the windbreaks that are a feature of the landscape, have been laid out here, benefiting from the long hours of sunshine and fertile volcanic soil.

The bay was given its name by Captain Cook, who was able to take in large stores of water and victuals here, after leaving a previous port of call in Poverty Bay (near Gisborne) almost empty-handed. Cook also gave names to the offshore islands, such as White Island (after the plumes of steam from its volcano) and Mayor Island (which he named at the same time as the Alderman Islands off the Coromandel coast).

The beaches of the Bay of Plenty are popular with bathers and surfers. There is also good fishing.