Bay of Plenty - Mount Monganui

With only two more months left here and potentially wet ones we are trying to squeeze in our last few items on our to do list… and this weekend it was the Bay of Plenty. We should be well into autumn now - much cooler and more rain, but the sun fairy is still sticking around and we had yet another glorious weekend. 

The Bay of Plenty is what I’d describe as the 'Land of Orchards' and we past some vast fields with rows of tall fir trees or strips of dense bamboo boxing in predominantly kiwi and avocado orchards. It was amazing to see these magnificent trees just laden with fruit - their lower branches nearly touching the ground due to the vast weight of the fruit on them. I have to say I loved the whole area… I can’t put a finger on it… possibly the all the neat rows of orchards one after another along side the beautiful beaches.

Our first stop was Mount Monganui where we trekked up the winding path up to the top. It probably took us around 45 minutes to get to the top, with lots of stops as it was fairly hard going… well we found it a slight challenge, but it has to be said that no word of a lie, more than half the people we passed enroute were either running up or down the path. There sure was a lot of lycra to be seen on the pathways, including a couple who had to be well into their 70’s….with back packs on… who zoomed on past while we were taking a little breather… really put us to shame!!! All the effort was so well worth it - with some stunning views of the town and stretch white sandy beaches below. 

The town itself looked pretty busy too and actually reminded me of Hurstmere Road in Takapuna… our road with all the main shops and restaurants on, but a few years ahead of Takapuna… more developed, more high rise hotels and far more people.

Once at the bottom we then headed for a long overdue catch up with our friends Chris and Kate in Katikati.