ca. 95 km

We named the leg "route of the coastal volcanos". Initially the road leads along the beautiful coastal strip until Papamoa Beach. The road turns to inland there and leads to Te Puke, where one can find everything which is needed on a tour. Shortly after we reached "Kiwi Fruit Country" at Rangiuru, with an impressive huge kiwi, visible from far. We recommend the kiwi ice-cream there - yyyummy! Some kms from there we met the junction to Rotorua, you will find a golf course with the inviting sign "Visitors welcome" at this place.

From there the road comes closer to the coastline again, and at the railway crossing bridge near Pukehina, the smoking vulcano of White Island is visible in the ocean. Shortly after, road and railway enter a picturesque narrow strip between the coastline and a steep rock terrace until Matata, where we found a beautiful campground at the beach. When the rock terrace disappears, more vulcanos come into view: from the plain farmland Mt. Edgecumbe is rising, giving us the direction for the next leg to Rotorua. On the other side in the ocean, Moutohora Island is visible, not to be mistaken for White Island, which is more offshore.

Whakatane is a cute and very clean town with a nice campground near the river. It's a good opportunity for a boat trip to White Island. Unfortunately at the beginning of January the boats were completely booked out, so one has to book in advance in the main season. For those who don't care of the money, helicopter trips to this smoking and colorful island are available too.

Camping Whakatane on OpenStreetMap

Mt. Maunganui - Te Puke - Matata - Whakatane