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A Place of Plenty: Bay Of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty has always been one of the leading tourist destinations for people living in New Zealand, and lately it is evolving as one of the hottest international vacation spots. In fact, the name of the place says it all. The Bay of Plenty is quite different from other places on the Kiwi mainland. While several areas are mostly arid with no vegetation to speak of, the Bay of Plenty has an immense hoard of natural wealth. People in the Bay of Plenty are quite unlikely to go hungry. That is the reason this region was named so by none other than Captain James Cook who introduced this Maori land to the world.

Some Geographical Information about the Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty is located in the north of the North Island region of New Zealand. It is a mostly coastal land (more than three fourths of the entire land area is classified as maritime land). However, the land is surrounded by forests, of which two are the most significant known as Murupara and Rotorua. Otherwise, there are several islands connected to the Bay of Plenty are accessible to tourists, known as the Mayor Island, the Motiti Island and the very popular Whale Island. Another very popular island that is closely connected with the Bay of Plenty is the White Island. This island boasts of an active volcano, which tourists make a beeline to visit.

Main Tourist Hotspots

The whole of the island is a tourist hotspot; the government has taken care to nourish and nurture the entire mainland to be solicitous to tourists. The islands connected to the Bay are great tourist attractions, especially the Whale and the White Islands. The coastline is definitely a major attraction, but what tourists chiefly comment on is the variety in the coast. People who are looking for sandy shores will find what they want, as well as people who are looking for rocky shores. The diversity is enormous. The area of the coast from Ogape to Waihi Beach is one of the best sandy shorelines of the world. But, if you go on the other side from Ogape, towards Cape Runaway Bay, you will find excellent rocky surfaces lining the shores.

Even on the mainland there are river catchment areas that are marvels in themselves. There are no less than eight rivers in this small Bay area, making it one of the largest water concentrated land areas of the world. These rivers are Kaituna, Motu, Rangitaiki, Raukokore, Wairoa, Waioeka, Whakatane and Tarawera.

The Taupo Volcanic Zone is the center of tourist attraction on the mainland. This area is responsible for great tourism in the Rotorua area, because of the high concentration of hot springs and geysers in the area. Tourists are attracted to these hot springs, which are considered to have healing properties. The areas are now designed as swimming areas so that they can become more accessible to the public. If you are looking for some hot spring swimming, you will need to head in the Rotorua area.

Another area of tourist attraction is the Kaingaroa Forest, which has the distinction of being the world's largest human-made forest. Each tree in this artificial forest has been planted by humans, not naturally grown. These trees include the very popular Radiata Pine, also known as the Monterey Pine.

How to make the most of the Bay of Plenty

If you are visiting the Bay of Plenty for the first time, make sure you do your homework well. The region has so many tourist attractions that it is easy to miss out on some very significant ones and then rue about it later when you are back home. The best thing to do is to learn what the Bay of Plenty has to offer, understand where these things are located and then make an itinerary before starting out.

Start your travel with Rotorua, which is easily accessible from Auckland, the capital city. Make it a point to visit the Okere Falls, the Whakarawarewa Forest and take a ride in the Skyline Skyrides. If you miss out on visiting the ghost town named Buried Village, you can consider your trip a waste. Rotorua is full of hot water attractions.

You can then move on to Tauranga, another major tourist destination which will take your breath away with its various horticultural treasures. This area is notable also for its various beaches where you can have the time of your life. Also visit The Mount for a panoramic view of the city.

The third prominent spot in your itinerary should be Whakatane. Do not go by what the locals say; they do not like Whakatane in preference to other destinations within the Bay, but foreigners enjoy the peace and tranquil that prevails here. And, of course, you can go kayaking in this area. If you wish to schedule a day tour to the White Island (the active volcano spot), you can do it from here. This is also the place to catch one of the most bedazzling sights you will ever see – that of the Tarawera Falls.

A trip to the Bay of Plenty has something to offer to everyone and makes for a good family vacationing spot. Think of this spot the next time you are contemplating on a global vacation.