Checkpoint: The Strand

Bay of Plenty plate

Order a Bay of Plenty classic (fresh snapper, mussels, an avocado-and-feta brunch, kiwifruit pavlova) and take a group photo with everyone taking the first bite at the same time.

Bishop's Palace pose

The Bishop's Palace is a stone Victorian mansion ranked among the most significant houses in America. Take a group photo with the turrets and arches behind your team.

Checkpoint: Bishop's Palace

Walk to the Bishop's Palace on Broadway and check in in front of the grand Victorian mansion.

Checkpoint: Mount Maunganui base

Navigate to the base of Mount Maunganui (Mauao) at the northern tip of the peninsula and check in at the start of the base track.

Checkpoint: Tauranga Harbour Bridge

Walk or drive onto the Tauranga Harbour Bridge approach and check in by the lookout.

Checkpoint: The Seawall

Travel south across the island to the Seawall along the Gulf and check in on the paved promenade.

Galveston finale

Final challenge. Find a beautiful Galveston spot (the Seawall at sunset, a Strand corner, the pier lit up) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from the island!

Galveston foodie classic

Galveston is a seafood town. Find a local favourite (Gulf shrimp, oysters, a po' boy, a snowball or ice cream) and take a group photo with everyone tucking in at the same time.

Galveston kick-off

The hunt begins! Find a classic Galveston backdrop (a cast-iron Strand facade, the Seawall, the Gulf surf) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.

Gulf beach toes

The beach runs below the Seawall along the warm Gulf. Get down to the sand and take a group photo with everyone's toes (or the surf) in the shot.

Harbour bridge backdrop

The Tauranga Harbour Bridge connects the city to Mount Maunganui. Find a viewpoint where the bridge stretches behind you and take a group photo with the team in front, water on both sides.

Kiwifruit nod

Tauranga is the country's kiwifruit capital, with most NZ kiwifruit grown in the Bay of Plenty. Find a kiwifruit (a Zespri sticker, a roadside orchard sign, a fruit shop display) and take a group photo with the team holding kiwifruits up in a toast.

Local Galveston tip

Convince a local Galveston resident to share a tip about the island (a beach, a seafood shack, a ghost-story spot). Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.

Local Tauranga tip

Convince a local Tauranga resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.

Main Beach barefoot pose

Mount Main Beach is one of New Zealand's most famous swimming beaches. Walk barefoot to the water's edge and take a group photo with the team posed in the surf, Mauao behind everyone.

Mount summit shot

Mauao stands 232 metres at the northern tip of the peninsula. Climb the summit track (45 minutes up) and take a group photo at the trig with Main Beach and the Bay of Plenty stretching out behind.

Pilot Bay calm-water shot

On the harbour side of the peninsula, Pilot Bay is the calm-water alternative to Main Beach. Find the shore, take a group photo with the team posed on the sand with the harbour and the kiwifruit-growing hills behind.

Pleasure Pier spot

The Historic Pleasure Pier reaches out over the Gulf with a Ferris wheel and rides. Take a group photo with the pier and its wheel behind you (riding is optional).

Salt Hot Pools nod

The Mount Salt Hot Pools at the base of Mauao are filled with naturally heated saltwater. Find the entrance or the pools courtyard and take a group photo with the team posed at the gate. Slip in for a soak if time allows.

Seawall promenade

The Galveston Seawall runs for ten miles above the beach, one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the country. Take a group photo on the Seawall with the Gulf of Mexico behind you.

Strand cast-iron facade

The Strand is one of the largest collections of Victorian cast-iron commercial buildings in the country. Take a group photo in front of an ornate ironwork facade or balcony.

Sunset over the bay

The Bay of Plenty has stunning sunrises and sunsets depending which side of the peninsula you are on. Time the team for a colour-filled sky, take a group photo with silhouettes against the warm light.

Surfboard or beach gear pose

Mount Maunganui is a surf town. Find a surfboard rental, a surf shop, a kite-surfer on the water or the lifeguard tower and take a group photo with the surf gear behind everyone.

Tall ship Elissa

The 1877 tall ship Elissa is berthed at the harbour by the Texas Seaport Museum. Find a view of the masts and rigging and take a group photo with the ship behind you.

Tauranga finale

Final challenge. Find a beautiful Tauranga spot (Main Beach at golden hour, The Strand at dusk, the harbour at sunset) and take an amazing closing group photo. Kia ora from the Bay of Plenty!

Tauranga kick-off

The hunt begins! Find a classic Bay of Plenty backdrop (Mount Maunganui, a surfboard, a kiwifruit) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.

Tauranga waterfront flat white

The Strand has Tauranga's densest concentration of brunch spots. Order a flat white (or kiwifruit smoothie) and take a group photo with everyone holding their cup up in a toast.

The Strand waterfront pose

The Strand is Tauranga's waterfront strip of cafes, bars and harbour views. Find a vantage point on the boardwalk and take a group photo with the harbour, the Mount across the bay and the team in the foreground.

Trivia: Bay of Plenty named

The Bay of Plenty was named by a European explorer who noted the abundance of food in the bay. Which explorer (last name)?

Trivia: Kiwifruit name

The kiwifruit was originally known by another name, after a Chinese fruit, before NZ growers rebranded it in the 1950s-60s. What was the older name (two words)?

Trivia: Mount Maunganui height

Mauao / Mount Maunganui stands what height in metres at its summit (within 10)?

Trivia: named after

Galveston and its bay are named after a Spanish colonial governor, Bernardo de Gálvez. What surname does the city carry from him?

Trivia: Seawall length

The Galveston Seawall protects the island for how many miles along the Gulf (answer the round number it is famous for)?

Trivia: the 1900 hurricane

Galveston built its great Seawall after a catastrophic hurricane, still the deadliest natural disaster in US history. In what year did that storm strike?

Victorian gingerbread house

Galveston's East End is full of colourful Victorian "gingerbread" houses with ornate trim. Find a particularly pretty one and take a group photo in front of it.