Top of the World

See the Big Candle?
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"Are you lost"  Confused, turned around, consulting the map to verify the directions, just resting.... yea we were lost.  Stopping in a suburb of Tauranga we were consulting a map (picked up at a tourist center, but full of cartoon figures representing the highlights of the city and showing only the downtown roads) there was a tap on the driver's side window and a concerned woman asking to help.  And despite our best efforts to tell her the best route to our destination, she gave us written directions through the city that avoided all the traffic and hassle of the expressway.  Bless her.

Maunganui From the Top
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The recommendation from our hostel host was to climb Mt. Maunganui, go to the hot pools, and have an ice cream.  Following the constant stream of traffic through the city and across the bridge to Maunganui (a small tourist town on the peninsula with trendy shops and truly expensive homes) we made our way to the beach and the Mt. Maunganui track.  The waterfront here is so beautiful, with golden sand, the bluest warm water, palm trees, and warm breezes.  The area has become very popular and the street directly across from the beach is lined with high-rise hotels, multimillion dollar homes and condominiums.

Confused, turned around, consulting the map to verify the directions, just resting.... yea we were lost.

Mommy, Mommy Can We Take the Massage Car?
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The climb begins at the beach and ends about an hour later on the top of the highest "mountain" in the area (at 232 metres it is sort of a stretch to call this mountain).  And it is a truly beautiful climb. You travel upward through bush with frequent breaks to marvel at the view. And at the top you have the 360 degree view of the ocean and the harbour.

Ok now back down to do the famous hot salt pools and to have that ice cream.  The brochures describe the pools as rare and they truly are, because in spite of our patrolling the waterfront in search of them they never made an appearance.  So without the hot pools, the ice cream shop is just not possible.  Apparently, the activities are done in a particular order and if you cannot complete the steps in order the magic is gone.

March through June is Kiwi picking season in New Zealand and most of the country's crop are grown in the Bay of Plenty. Tauranga is in the Bay of Plenty and surrounded by Kiwi orchards.  The other travelers in our hostile were young men, some in their gap year, from Germany coming to New Zealand to work a few months picking fruit and then traveling around.

A quick note on the pictures.  The van picture is advertising Bobby's Bar Massage and Strip Club.  I just thought that it was and interesting family vehicle.  "Ok kids pile into the van and mom will take you to soccar practice."

Next stop some place on the Coromandel Peninsula.