Out and about - Tauranga and Mount Maunganui (The Mount)

Yesterday we took a trip out, Tauranga & The Mount are less than and hours and a half away. So after a couple of errands in town we were on our way. As you can see the roads are very busy! Not! Those hills in the distance are the Kaimai's and we have to drive over the top of them. Near the top is a viewpoint, the photos could never do justice to that view of the Waikato. 

We took the fast road into Tauranga via the toll road.

Views of the Mount in the distance as we neared Tauranga. We had a late breakfast then walked to the waters edge, one of my favourite things is to look at the sun glistening off the water. See the shipping container converted to a coffee bar? Very apt as Tauranga is a huge shipping port, everything we owned was shipped to this port in a 20 foot container nearly 10 years ago.

Taking in the sites, fountains, waka (Maori canoe) a piano that you can play..in the street! And an arts centre, you know I made a beeline for that don't you? You know me so well!

arts market @ the cargo shed

At the entrance a yarn bombed trolley and there was more inside. The bikes were really cool Joe thought they were ridiculous....peasant!

Pied shag: This fella was such a poser

Rickshaw outside an Indian restaurant and slender billed gulls which we found everywhere

Time then to head onto Mount Maunganui, otherwise known as The Mount.

Over the causeway and  views of the harbour and port

Two huge cruise liners were docked at the jetty, we never knew it was deep enough here to take them, but obviously it is as the whole harbour is of course a very busy port. They dwarfed everything and the town centre was very busy with people from all over the world.

The Mount, there are a number of walks here, we've only ever down the easy one around the base, if I wanted to give myself a coronary I would walk to the top! It's a great walk around the views are stunning and often you see the huge ships entering the harbour. We didn't walk it today however.

After a wander through the shops we took the short walk to the other side and the fabulous beach and the Pacific Ocean, it was a stunning day and it was being appreciated by many people, sunbathing, swimming and surfing....

 

I was there too! That's the thing with being the photographer, you don't get int the photos much.

Lunch was pan fried snapper and chips, and an ice cold cider or two.

We then headed back towards the first beach and where we parked the car, we'd walked a small circuit. As we rounded the corner we were able to see both of the liners. Once we got back to the car we grabbed the towels and spent a while on the beach, Joe took his customary swim then had a snooze, whilst I just took a whole heap of photographs.

And then it was time to head home, we said we would do this more often, it's good for the soul

and we don't have to wait too long, this time next week we will be on a beach in the Far North.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

♥