Discover Tauranga Scavenger Hunt
Discover the Bay of Plenty with a scavenger hunt across Tauranga. Climb to the summit of Mount Maunganui for the ocean panorama, walk the Mount Main Beach at dawn, follow The Strand for waterfront coffees and end with a kiwifruit toast in the country's fruit-growing capital. White sand, lava cones, sunshine, surfboards.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
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.
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2
The Strand
Cross the harbour bridge to Tauranga and check in on The Strand along the waterfront.
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3
Tauranga Harbour Bridge
Walk or drive onto the Tauranga Harbour Bridge approach and check in by the lookout.
Challenges (20)
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.
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.
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.
Trivia: Mount Maunganui height
Mauao / Mount Maunganui stands what height in metres at its summit (within 10)?
Answers: 232 / 230 / 240 / 225 / 235
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.
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.
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.
Checkpoint: The Strand
Cross the harbour bridge to Tauranga and check in on The Strand along the waterfront.
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.
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.
Checkpoint: Tauranga Harbour Bridge
Walk or drive onto the Tauranga Harbour Bridge approach and check in by the lookout.
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.
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)?
Answers: Cook / cook / James Cook
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.
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)?
Answers: Chinese gooseberry / chinese gooseberry
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Frequently asked questions
Half a day. Four hours covers Mount Maunganui (the climb and the beach), the harbour and The Strand at a relaxed pace. The Mount summit walk is 45 minutes up; the rest of the route is flat. Tauranga and Mount Maunganui sit either side of the harbour, connected by a bridge.
Yes, it is the photo. The Mauao summit walk is 232 metres up over 45 minutes on a paved track with steps. The view at the top covers Main Beach, Pilot Bay, the harbour and the Bay of Plenty islands. Take water and sturdy shoes; the path is exposed.
November to April. Bay of Plenty summers are warm and sunny, perfect for the beach walk and Mount climb. Winter is mild but rainy; the Mount is climbable year-round if the weather cooperates. Avoid the Christmas and New Year weeks unless you are happy with crowds.
The base of Mount Maunganui (Mauao) is the natural opener: pay-and-display parking by the playground, the Mount looms above for the kickoff photo and Main Beach is steps away. From there cross the harbour bridge to Tauranga's Strand for the afternoon.
Yes. The Mount base walk is pram-friendly (skip the summit climb with little kids), Main Beach is lifeguarded in summer, the harbour boardwalk has playgrounds and ice-cream stops, and the Saturday Tauranga Farmers' Market is full of free samples. Kiwifruit-and-honey stops are a guaranteed kid favourite.