The Bay of Plenty, from Waihi Beach to Opotiki, offers outstanding surf beaches and coastal scenery. The whole Bay offers magnificent waters for big game fishing. The region includes 18 of-shore islands, and 260km of coastline. White Island, 50km off the coast of Whakatane, is the country's only active marine volcano.

Tauranga, Maori for 'sheltered waters', is the largest residential and commercial area of the coastal Bay of Plenty. The city of Tauranga spreads round the southernmost tip of a large natural harbour, facing across the water to Mount Maunganui and the Pacific Ocean. Pride in its colonial heritage is evident in the many preserved buildings and Maori sites. Parks and gardens are a feature of the city and the area is a large kiwifruit and citrus-growing district.

Whakatane is the other major town in the Bay of Plenty. It is a base for big game fishing, observing dolphins, jet boating, white water rafting and trout fishing.

ROTORUA

Rotorua lies at the very heart of New Zealand's North Island, only 3 hours from Auckland. The city is set on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua, and much of the surrounding area is forestry and farming land. The area is covered with volcanoes, native forests, rivers, lakes, geysers, boiling mud pools, colourful crystal formations and warm bathing pools. Rotorua was for many centuries a centre of Maori culture, and today you can experience a traditional Maori feast - the hangi - where your food is steamed underground on a bed of heated stones. There are also often events with traditional music and dancing.

TAUPO

Taupo is an hour's drive south of Rotorua, and the township stretches down the length of the lake at the Waikato River. The area owes its landscapes to its volcanic origins, and Lake Taupo takes up two extinct volcanoes, and is New Zealand's largest lake. The vast waters of Lake Taupo extend over 650 square kilometres.

The Waikato River, the country's largest, forms the outflow for the lake and runs the hydroelectric power generating scheme. The lake and surrounding rivers swarm with trout. The water ways are popular for jet boating, white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking. Small thermal areas are found nearby at Wairakei at the edge of Lake Taupo and at Tokaanu.

Further south is Tongariro National Park. Home to New Zealand's largest ski fields, the park is centred around the volcanic peaks of Ruapehu, Tangariro and Ngauruhoe. This large park has an enormous variety of native plant life with many walking tracks, popular out of the ski season.

EASTLAND

The Eastland region has an abundance of wilderness and rugged coastline. The two hour coastal trip from Optiki to Gisborne is full of spectacular scenery.

Opotiki is the gateway to the Eastland Region, in the centre of a dairy farming region, the

Gisborne is the closest city to the International Dateline, and so sees the sunreise before anyother city in the world. A sunny river port city. The sea coast and the Turanganui, Waimata and Taruheru rivers adjoin the city. Rich flat lands surround Gisborne, producing crops and wine.

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